


Losing Balance

by DarkAbyss



Category: House M.D.
Genre: Angst and Humor, Developing Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, M/M, Medical Procedures, Mild Language, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-25
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 03:29:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 65,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/857247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAbyss/pseuds/DarkAbyss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Season 3, after Tritter arc and "Half Wit". There's a new case for House, in which Wilson gets stuck by chance. The relationship between the patient and his best friend brings up new issues House and Wilson have to deal with. While the first simply chooses to ignore them, the second is forced to face the changes in their friendship and the influence that the people around them have on it. [Eventual House/Wilson]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. There's nothing new under the sun

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> This is my first House story! I started watching the series again and I realised how much I have missed it! I totally got into it and I decided I should write down my own story about it. It's going to be a multi chapter story.
> 
> It takes place during the third season, after the Tritter arc and episode 3x15, "Half-Wit". So we still have House's first team and Chase and Cameron are already sleeping together. I'm in love with Hilson pairing so it will contain slash (I still don't know if it would turn explicit or not, but I don't think) and there will be a female OC among the main characters (no romance between her and a canon, maybe only mentions! So don't worry). I'm trying to keep the characters stuck to the original, let me know if you think I'm going too much OOC!
> 
> This first chapter is just an introduction, the story will contain a case! I'm not a doctor but I've done some researches about the diseases and the treatments. I'll try to make it as realistic as I can!
> 
> English is not my mother language and I don't have a beta, so forgive me lexical and grammar errors! I'm doing my best to improve my English! I hope it's not too bad!
> 
> Every comment or criticism is welcomed! Let me know what you think about it! Enjoy!
> 
> Disclamar: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> Note: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), don't like, don't read please!

**Chapter 1 - _There's nothing new under the sun_** __

It was a sunny morning. The air was pleasantly cool and a gentle breeze blew over the buildings of the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. James Wilson was standing on the building roof, his gaze absently wandering across the landscape. He had left his office a few minutes earlier, after a quite difficult conversation with patient. All the treatments he had tried in the last months had miserably failed, without giving any results that could make him hope for an improvement or a chance of another attempt.

When the young man had come to his office the first time, over a year before, he had been almost sure that he would have managed to save him. He had a small malignant adenocarcinoma in his left lung, but the analysis showed that it was at the first stages and it was operable. He hadn’t expected the fast degeneration. In a small period of time, the tumour had metastasised and had affected also the patient’s liver and pancreas. Now, the only thing the oncologist had left to do was trying to find the best way to soothe the man’s pain and to allow him to spend his last months of life with dignity.

Wilson sighed tiredly. Brian was only thirty-four, he had a nice job as a graphic designer and he had been planning to propose to his girlfriend. And now he was going to _die_. At the end of their meeting, the man had shaken his hand and had thanked him, like almost all his patients did when he sentenced them to death. House was right, he didn’t understand why they always said “thank you”, even if he would have never admitted that to his best friend. Why should they be grateful if they were dying? Of course, he always did his best to extend their lives and to sooth their sufferings, but he could never stop the pain and, above all, he could not stop _death_. If people thought that dealing with it every day helped you to get used to the idea, they were totally wrong.

“Hey, James!” A voice called from behind him, making him start. “I’ve been looking for you. A nurse told me she saw you going up here.”

Wilson turned around, caught off guard, and found himself face to face with a younger woman with dark red hair and light freckles. “Oh, good morning, Sophia. Can I do something for you?”

She smiled jokingly. “Well, _you_ asked me out for lunch yesterday, or have you forgotten about it?” She said approaching him. Then her expression turned serious. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s…I had a bad morning,” he answered rubbing his neck and mentally cursing for having completely forgotten about his engagement. “I’m sorry, our date has completely slipped my mind. I have too many things going around in my head.”

“Ah, it doesn’t matter! I guessed that. I…Uh, I heard about Brian from one of the nurses. I’m sorry.” She put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “You know how it works. We can’t save everybody. We can just do our best. That’s what doctors do.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But sometimes…I just think it’s not fair,” he muttered bitterly under his breath.

“Life’s never fair, James,” Sophia smiled sympathetically and then winked. She didn’t like seeing the other man so down, so she wanted to try to cheer him up. “But there’s no point in staying here and getting depressed about it! Come and have lunch with your favourite intensivist! We’re still in time for that.”

Wilson couldn’t help smiling a bit in turn. “I guess you’re right. And I do owe you that lunch,” he nodded, biting back another sigh. “And…Thanks.”

“That’s what friends are for!” The woman claimed forcefully. Then she took the oncologist’s arm, pulling him towards the door. “And, by the way, why the roof today? Usually you lock yourself in your office when you are in the dumps.”

“Well, I needed some fresh air…and I have a friend who always comes here when he’s in a bad mood. So, I thought it could help me as well.”

“House, isn’t he? What a silly question! It’s _always_ him!”

James shook his head, but didn’t answer, quickening his pace instead to walk by her side. He knew that Sophia was just teasing him. He could tell from the amused sparkle in her green eyes.

They had met while doing Clinic some months before. Sophia Ure worked in the E.R. and she was a really brilliant doctor and a very beautiful and fascinating woman. He had asked her out at the end of their shift. However, she immediately turned him down saying that she was flattered by his interest, but unfortunately she was already involved with someone else. The day after she had come to his office and invited him to have a coffee with her. He had accepted and coffees had turned in lunches and dinners (when he wasn’t busy with House) and they had quickly become quite close friends.

“Anyway, how about you?” He asked while they were heading towards the elevator. “Busy morning?”

“We had two victims of a car accident. Luckily nothing fatal,” she answered pressing the first floor button. “But I have to do the night shift today and I have the feeling that something big is going to happen before I’ll be free to go home. When will I see a day with no emergencies?”

“Life’s never fair, Sophia,” Wilson chuckled, echoing the woman’s earlier words and patting her arm. “And you were the one who chose to specialise in emergency medicine. Critic situations are part of your job.”

“Says the oncologist,” she talked back with a grin. “Can we forget about work for a while? I still have more than twelve hours of work waiting for me after three p.m.!”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry. So, what do you want to talk about instead?”

“Let me think…Why don’t we discuss, for example, why you keep hiding our friendship from most people, and especially House and his team?” A worrisome grin appeared on her face. “Are you somehow embarrassed about going out with me as a friend? Are you worried that I’ll ruin your reputation as a womanizer?”

“I’m…I’m not _embarrassed_ of our friendship! It’s just…I don’t want people to start gossiping about us. If Chase, Cameron or Foreman got to know I’m going out with you, then House would know and he would just assume that I’m dating you, no matter how many times I say it’s not true. And he’ll start firstly bothering me about the fact I’m “getting into the fourth biggest mistake of my life”, alias fourth marriage, and then he’ll start following us around. It’d not be fun, trust me. I prefer to let him think I’m seeing someone, even if it’s not true, but leave him without a confirmation.”

“My, my, you’re so complicated sometimes!” Sophia commented shaking her head. “Who cares about the rumours? They’re fake, we know, our friends know. I don’t care what the rest of the world thinks. And for House…Come on, he can’t be _that_ annoying! You can be evil, “Saint” James! Speaking so badly of your best friend!”

Wilson rolled his eyes. Don’t call me that. And you don’t know _House_! And, trust me, you don’t know what you’re asking for!”

“Maybe, but that’s why I’d really like knowing. He’s your best friend, I’m curious,” she stubbornly pointed out. “And, besides, everyone in the hospital talks about him at least once in a day. They say he’s the biggest misanthropic bastard one gets to know in their life! I’m _intrigued_. You know I like mysteries!”

“Not this one, Sophia.”

“So, you’re not going to introduce me to him?”

James looked at the intensivist who was staring at him almost pleading. He knew it was only a façade, but you could hardly say no to those gorgeous green eyes when they were sparkling like that. “Uh, maybe,” he gave up in the end, sighing. He had never been good at saying no to anyone, even when he truly should. “I’ll think about it. Especially because I know that if I don’t introduce you two, you’d just go straight to House’s office and introduce yourself. And I’d be ruined if you did.”

“So melodramatic. _Ruined_!” She teased, but her voice sounded satisfied. She had been insisting over the matter for weeks now and that had been the most similar thing to a “yes” she had got till that moment. “Changing the subject, do you mind if Derek joins us? Well, he and Matt actually.”

“I don’t mind your brother coming. I like him, you know that,” the oncologist answered before frowning slightly. “But who’s Matt? You’ve never mentioned him, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Matthew is Derek’s boyfriend.”

“B-Boyfriend? You mean…?”

“Yes, his lover, partner, whatever you want to call him. Why are you so surprised?”

“I just…I don’t know. I should have expected it.”

Sophia laughed. “It seems it’s a family thing. Being “normal” it’s not for us,” she joked. “Derek is more “extreme” then me, though. At least I’m bi!”

The oncologist allowed himself to laugh with her as they left the hospital. “I wouldn’t spend so much time with you if you were normal, Sophia. I like exiting normality sometimes.”

“More than sometimes, I dare to say! You spend most of your time around House after all!”

“Hey, that’s not completely true! It’s also the other way around. He spends a lot of time around me as well.”

“Really? I find it hard to believe…but not too much!”

They kept discussing while they walked through the streets, heading for their usual bar that was owned by a friend of Sophia’s. James felt much more relax and Brian was almost forgotten at least for the moment. That was what he loved about the intensivist’s company. She seemed to be able to wash his worries away for some time, allowing him to recharge. He smiled at her. He didn’t regret they hadn’t become romantically involved. He would have lost the chance to share such a good bond.

 

House set in a chair, all his attention focused on the little TV that was broadcasting one of his soap operas. In the bed besides him the coma man kept sleeping in his unconscious state, completely oblivious of the open packet of chips that was lying on his lap. The diagnostician had no case that day and should have been in the Clinic at the moment, but he was definitely not in the mood. So, he had decided to try his luck by hiding and hoping that Cuddy wouldn’t find him. After pondering his options, he had chosen a place that was so obvious that maybe the Dean of Medicine wouldn’t have bothered to check while looking for him. And he was right. The woman would have never looked for him in there, but she also usually asked somebody else to help her in the research, somebody she was sure would have _exactly_ known where House was. So, it wasn’t so unexpected when the door opened revealing Wilson.

“House, Cuddy is looking for you,” the oncologist stated closing the door behind him. “You have Clinic duty and you know too well.”

“Not in the mood. And come on, they’re broadcasting a quite intriguing episode!” His best friend grunted without looking away from the screen. “Cuddy disconnected the poor coma guy’s TV! I’m striking to get it working again! He _needs_ it! Everybody knows it is supposed to help him.”

James shook his head sighing. “Don’t pretend you care about this man, House. You’re upset because _you_ can’t watch it anymore,” he said crossing his arm. “And you’re not striking. You’re just avoiding work. It’s different.”

House rolled his eyes. “You’re no fun, Jimmy! You could at least pretend to back me up,” he complained. “What are you going to do now? Reporting me so I’m forced to face those idiots?”

“First of all, “those idiots” are patients and we have the duty to help them, even if they’re just exaggerating their state. And secondly, actually I have no intention of telling Cuddy where you are. If I pretend I’m looking for you I can avoid Clinic myself.”

“Oooh! Little Jimmy is playing hooky, eh? Am I finally succeeding in shaping you? Or are you in a bad mood because one of your bald kids is not too happy after today chemo?”

“Not in the mood.” Wilson’s face darkened a little. “And it’s not a child today, but a nice and promising young man.”

“Is he dead?”

“Not yet. But he’ll be gone too soon. And it’s my fault. I had been too confident about his case. Maybe I could have saved him. I almost couldn’t look at his or his girlfriend’s face today when they thanked me…”

“So, I owe you other ten dollars. Great!” The diagnostician commented sarcastically. “I’ll keep on saying you put a spell on them when you talk them into dying or suffering! You’re _incredible_.”

“I wish I wasn’t…” The oncologist whispered more to himself.

“Why didn’t you come to my office if you were so upset? You could have paid for my lunch and I would have talked your depression away with my fine jokes!” House looked at his friend mockingly but he kept studying him. The truth was he was trying to distract the younger man from those nasty thoughts even if he would have never admitted that even to himself. “Instead you’re still depressed and I had to make Foreman buy me lunch. You’re going to give him his money back, don’t forget!”

“Sorry, I already had other plans,” Wilson answered a bit too quickly, grabbing a chair and sitting next to the other doctor. He hoped that House would have dropped the argument but he also knew he would have been a dupe if he’d really believed that. “I went out with a friend, her brother and her brother’s…partner. And before you say it, we’re not romantically involved.”

“You stole my words, Wilson. A friend? A _female_ friend? Are you trying to make me believe you’re seeing a woman without hitting on her?” The diagnostician’s voice filled with scepticism. “I’m not that naïve! Besides, nobody would believe that, not even Cameron. Mr. Panty Peeler has no _female_ friends! And that meeting you had really sounded like a double date to me.”

“Instead it wasn’t! I’m _not_ lying, House,” the oncologist sighed exasperated. “She’s just a friend, nothing more. I’m sorry this is shocking you, but I can have _female_ friends that aren’t my exs and I can hang out with women _without_ going for them!”

“You’re not friend with you exs. Anyway, you never cease to amaze me, Wilson. You keep denying the obvious, I’m astonished,” the older man mocked, but his eyes kept a serious sparkle, never leaving his friend’s figure. “But I must admit you’re becoming a better liar! I’m almost tempted to believe you. _Almost_. You still have to do much better to fool _me_.”

“Again, I’m telling the truth.” James crossed his arms sighing again. There was only one way out. “Listen, if you don’t want to believe me, why don’t you meet her? I can introduce her to you. Moreover, she’s eager to meet you as well.”

“She knows me, uh? Is she one of the nurses again? No, wait they hate me, they would never say they would be happy to meet me. So, either she’s one of your patients, _again_ , and you have told her about me, or she’s a doctor. Maybe that new girl in cardiology? I heard she’s so desperate above her cat’s death! You like them when they’re like that, I know, Mr. Pretty Saviour!”

“She’s not one of my patients. After Grace I swore I would have never done that mistake again and I’m not failing my promise. And she’s not the cardiology girl. She works in the E.R., you don’t know her. And she’s not desperate, so quit it.”

‘E.R? Interesting. Chase must know her,’ House thought. Then he spoke aloud: “Not desperate? Sorry but I don’t buy this either. Introduce her to me, if you want. But don’t blame me if your little girl-friend falls for my charm.” He got up, grabbing his cane. “I’d really like to spend the rest of my time gossiping with you, but one of us, clearly not me, has homework to do. I, instead, have to harass our dear teacher and her twins.”

The oncologist stood up in turn and went to open the door for his friends. “You never change. Try not to make Cuddy too much upset. I’m not protecting your sorry ass from her rage again. Last time she gave me your same punishment,” he warned, shaking his head. “She still hasn’t forgiven you your last trick.”

“Come on, I know you _love_ the smart bastard I am! And don’t worry, no extra Clinic hours for you this time,” the diagnostician reassured. “Go and do your job, Dr Wilson, I’m going to my office, I bet my ducklings have a case for me. And if they haven’t, I’ll find something nasty for them to do. I’ll see you at dinner time?”

“Yeah, of course. Your place?”

“That’s a rhetorical question. And bring food. I have the alcohol. Don’t forget your clothes. You’re driving me to work tomorrow morning!”

“Sure. I won’t.”

The two men parted, the older going towards the elevator and the younger heading back to the Clinic, both hoping not to meet their boss before they reached their destination.

 

Cameron sighed, shutting down her personal computer and glancing at the clock. House was late. He paged them forty-five minutes before commanding to meet him in his office immediately, but he still hadn’t showed up. She had chosen to while away the time by dealing her boss’ electronic mail and had just finished with it. Chase was sat in the chair next to her, busy with another crossword puzzle, while Foreman was reading one of his medical magazines.

“I wonder where House is,” she said after another moment of silence. “He seemed quite in a hurry when he paged us.”

“You should know him by now. He was probably just making fun of us,” Foreman answered rising his eyes from the pages. “He almost surely wants to talk to us, but there’s no urgency. Besides, if we had a new case we would have known at this point. Relax.”

“Oh, you’re always so right, Foreman!” House’s voice said making the three doctors turn towards the door where he was standing. “So! Female, young, surely good-looking, one of the doctor working in the E.R.! Chase?”

“What should I tell you? You haven’t told us any of her symptoms yet!” The blond complained confused. “Is this a new kind of game? Guess the patient’s symptoms?”

“Patient? I never told you we have a case! Foreman said we haven’t, remember?” The diagnostician stated, limping inside and going to pour himself a cup of coffee.

“Then why are you talking about her?” Cameron asked, fearing the answer. She was sure it would have been something stupid and inappropriate.

“She’s Wilson’s new date, the one I was sure he had, even if he keeps saying they’re just friends. I need to know who she is! You worked in the E.R. for some time, Chase, you must know her,” House exclaimed happily, facing his team. “So? Any information? I need to spy on her before Wilson introduces us.”

“And why you would you spy on her?” She insisted. “I’m sure that Dr Wilson is old enough to take care of himself. Or maybe are you jealous? Are you afraid that this unknown woman will steal your best friend or something similar?”

“Oh yes! I’m turning into a green-eyed monster, can’t you see?” The older man’s tone was almost literally dripping sarcasm. “Wilson _can’t_ take care of himself. It’s a physical law. He’s a selfless idiot when it comes to relationships! He can’t see where he’s going. His ex-wives are the proof!”

“Says the misanthrope,” Foreman muttered under his breath, annoyed. “Well, if you want to mess up with all the women Wilson’s going to see, help yourself! But let us out. We are here to work, not to play your idiotic games.”

House ignored him a d turned to Chase. “So? Any possible identity for her?” He demanded impatiently.

“Well, there are some pretty women working in the E.R., but the majority are nurses. If I must give you a name I’d say Sophia Ure. She’s around my age, she’s one of the best from that department and she is really a cute chick,” the blond answered. “I had a drink with her a few times. Charming, beautiful but never interested. As far as I know, she has always refused any kind of serious romantic attention since when she started working here. Only one-night rendezvouses, if you’re lucky.”

“Poor Wilson, maybe he wasn’t lying after all,” the diagnostician mumbled pensive. “I’ll check her. Anyway! Do you three have something for me? Some strange and inexplicable medical mystery?” The three doctors shook their head. “Ow, that’s bad. Well, since you’ve nothing to do, you can take care of my Clinic hours. I have to perform an investigation!” And with that he left the room without giving his team a chance to complain or retort.

“And here he is gone again!” Foreman sighed. “What do we do now?”

“I think we have lots of Clinic hours waiting for us. My God, I’m so eager!” Chase answered rolling his eyes and getting up.

“Are you seriously going to do them for him?”

“Of course! He is House. You never know what could happen if we don’t do what he said.”

“And what about that woman, Sophia?” Cameron stepped in, a bit of worry in her voice.

“She’s gonna be fine, better than us for sure,” the blond stated untouched. “House is just going to scare her away as usual. There’s nothing new under the sun. So, why don’t we get to the Clinic?”

His co-workers nodded and followed him out of the room, Foreman clearly reluctantly and the immunologist not so convinced by his answer. Even so, none of them said a word as they stepped into the elevator and the neurologist pushed the low ground button.

 


	2. Under the surface

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!
> 
> Here goes the second chapter of the story! I'm introducing the medical case in this one, but we will enter in the full development only from next chapter! I hope you'll like it!
> 
> I want to thank all he people who have read and who is fallowing the story! Please, let me know what you think, it would help me a lot!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> *Disclamar*: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> *Note*: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), /don't like, don't read please!/

**Chapter 2 – _Under the surface_**

“I don’t know. The atmosphere wasn’t tense, quite the contrary actually. There was nothing different from the usual but, at the same time, something was… _awkward._ ”

Wilson sighed, shrugging a bit. He had spent the evening at his best friend’s place the day before. They had ordered Chinese takeaway, for which he had obviously paid for, and eaten on House’s sofa while watching TV. They had drunk a couple of beers and spoke about everything and nothing as they always did. The diagnostician had used in his usual sarcastic tone and had made his usual questionable comments. James had laughed at his best friend’s jokes and had complained about his meanness. Nothing new.

However, at the same time, he had sensed that something was going on between them, something out of place that made him uncomfortable. For days, he had tried to convince himself that they were fine once again, that they had solved their contrasts, even after House’s brilliant plan to trick the doctors of the hospital in Massachusetts into implanting a “cool drug” into the pleasure centre of his brain. James had been furious and disappointed, like everybody else, but he had forgiven his friend in a quite short time. After all, besides the bitterness, unfortunately he couldn’t have said that he was surprised by the diagnostician’s actions. It was just House being House. Yet, under the surface, there was still something undone, he could sense it. The problem was he had no clue of what it could be.

“Since that mess with Tritter things have been awkward between us,” he went on, shaking his head. “I’m not sure of what’s going on. Our bond has always been some sort of God-only-knows-how-it-can-work screwed up friendship. But it never bothered me. It’s something else.”

“Maybe it’s just the way you see this situation. You two had a fight, a _serious_ fight, and you can’t just pretend it never happened. People need time to assimilate that kind of earthquakes in their relationships. Things often keep shaking for some time before settling down again,” Sophia stated trying to sound reassuring and biting back another yawn as they walked through the doors of the Clinic. “He also said you he was sorry, something you’d have never expected from him, and now you’re on your toes all the time, looking for some other unusual behaviour. And since he’s acting like his normal self again, maybe your mind is just desperately looking for some little details that it can consider strange and that normally it wouldn’t even see. You’re rushing things and misinterpreting nothings. Just give you two some more time and everything will start working again on its own.”

“Are you saying I’m being paranoid?” He asked unhappily glancing at her. “That I’m just exaggerating if not inventing everything?”

“You said that, not me!” She joked, drinking a big sip of her coffee. “I’m here only to listen to your problems as a good friend should do and to try to help you. I’d also tease you, but I’m too sleepy at the moment. I’m using all my energy for the serious part of this conversation and there’s no left for mocking you today. I guess the bags under my eyes show it too well. Sorry, sweety, I promise I’ll make it up to you tomorrow!”

“Don’t worry, I know you are exhausted. I’ve already told you to go home. You got off two hours ago after all.”

“And you’re at work an hour early!” She talked back with a little grin. “And that’s strange since you came in with House. You told me that he usually doesn’t come at work until ten.”

“He comes at ten when he’s in a really good mood. Usually he arrives at noon,” James smiled shaking his head. “Cuddy forced him to come early today and I took advantage of that since I promised him I would have driven him to the hospital. I needed some time away from him.”

“And I guessed you’re also driving him back home tonight. Spending the night at his place once again?”

“Yeah, I think so. And since I have to wait for him to finish his work, it also means that, if he gets a case, I would be forced to stay here until he decides he can leave the patient under his team’s care.”

“And you also could have to spend all the night in the hospital if he gets too intrigued. If tomorrow you’ll be the one with bags under your eyes I’ll know why!”

“It wouldn’t be a first for me, so don’t worry. I’m used to much worse.”

“I have no doubts about that. You must introduce House to me, James! It could as well help me sooth your paranoia. If I got to know how he behaves around you normally I could tell you if he’s truly acting strange or if it’s just you imagining it.”

“I told you I’d think about it. Do not insist. Now you should really go home. Sorry if I stole you so much of your time.”

“It’s ok. You needed somebody to talk to and I needed a place where I could sleep for a couple of hours. Derek usually practices with the drums early in the morning and the last thing I need in this moment is a headache.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I confess, I was hoping to find you here. But now I’m done with the talking and your brother should be leaving for work in few minutes. Go home and get some rest.”

“You are the doctor at the present, so I must obey!” The intensivist smiled and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry too much, I’m sure everything is going to be OK with House. Relax!”

The oncologist nodded. “I hope so. Maybe you’re right, I’m just paranoid. Now go home, Sophia. Do you need a ride?”

“No, I phoned Matt. He’ll be here in ten minutes. And I promise to sleep the whole day!”

“Good.” Wilson smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Sophia opened her mouth to answer but a sudden noise and a scream made them both turn quickly toward the almost empty waiting room. Two men were standing in the centre of it and one of them was holding a nurse, drawing a gun on her head.

“If one of you is enough stupid to make a move I’ll shot her dead, understood?” He warned. “Stay away from the doors. No security guards. No phone calls. Just stay still and silent, everybody, and you’ll go home unharmed.”

“You two with the white coat.” The other man, a bit shorter than his partner-in-crime, pointed the two doctors. He was holding a gun as well. “Shut the doors and close the curtains. Then bring me that damned phone and call the boss of this fucking hospital!”

Sophia nodded quickly and ran towards the exit, locking the glass doors, while James reached for the phone and handed it to the man.

“You call, doctor,” said the one who was holding the scared to death but unharmed nurse. “What’s your name?”

“Dr James Wilson,” the oncologist answered cautiously. He let his gaze wander around the room for a brief moment. The few patients and the nurses were all staring at them, holding their breaths anxiously, but, apart from that, everybody seemed fine enough. The intensivist was right behind him and her face was a little pale, but she nodded to him as their gazes met assuring she was OK too. He looked back at the attackers. They were both really nervous and often exchanges glances full of hesitation. “May I ask why you two are doing this?”

The shorter man glanced at him as he was crazy, his eyes showing the first sign of panic. “Now, you’re not in the position to ask questions, Dr Wilson. I’m Steven Mitchell and the other guy is Harry Allen. Phone your boss.”

“I don’t think it will be necessary,” Sophia interrupted shyly. “She is already here, outside the Clinic.”

“What?!” Allen exclaimed, rage and fear in his voice.

“Dr Cuddy is always around the Clinic, she has to be sure that all her doctors do their duty in here,” James explained trying to keep his voice calm. The situation was getting really bad. “You want me to talk to her?”

The two men exchanged few words in a whisper and then the taller spoke again. “Come here, Doc,” Allen ordered and, as soon as the oncologist reached them he grabbed him letting the nurse go in exchange. “You, female doctor. Your name?”

“Sophia Ure,” she breathed out her eyes full of anxiety and locked on the oncologist.

“Ok. Now, Sophia, if you want your friend to stay safe, take all these people out of here and go and talk to your boss. Tell her we what’s going on and that need the best doctor of this hospital. She mustn’t call the police or Dr Wilson is dead. No tricks. His life is in your hands.”

As soon as he finished talking all the people in the room moved towards the doors, hoping to get out as soon as possible. Sophia pushed the button and let them out before exiting in turn after shooting Wilson another worried look. Mitchell quickly locked the doors again behind her and then approached the other two again.

“If you were ill you could just have said it,” the oncologist said staring at the one who was holding him, forgetting for a moment in which situation he was. “We’re in a hospital, we are doctors! Treating ill people is our job! And you clearly are one of them. You’re burning, I can feel it. You have fever!”

“I used to believe that too, at least until I was visited by five doctors and all of them said there was nothing wrong and that I was just hypochondriac. They said it was just a bad flu and prescribed me antibiotics. Oh, yeah, and one of them gave me the number of a psychiatrist. So, sorry if I lost my trust in the normal procedure!” Allen’s voice was full of sarcasm. “Maybe this way I’ll finally convince someone to try harder and find what’s wrong with me.”

Wilson stared at him. “Nobody can understand what you have? Well, you are in the right place. In this hospital there is a doctor who can solve the cases the others can’t. But you have to stimulate his curiosity in the right way or he won’t even look at you.”

“Who is he?” Mitchell asked still sceptical but with a glint of hope in his eyes. He lifted his hands, not caring about the gun he was holding. He caught the oncologist’s worried glance at his movement and he lowered the weapon. “Ah, no worries, Doc! I think we can tell you now since you seem so ready to help us. The guns are fake! We are good people, even if we are desperate! The last thing we want is to hurt somebody.”

Allen nodded letting go of James. “Yeah, sorry for scaring you and the others out. But please, can you keep on the act, at least until this doctor you mentioned accepts my case?” He asked rubbing his left arm. “I’m an office clerk and Steven is a teacher in high school. We haven’t the money for a private clinic. We didn’t want to create panic, but we couldn’t find a better way to get the attention I need.”

“I hope you don’t mind if I disagree about this last thing,” Wilson breathed finally relaxing. He handed the phone to the shorter man and pressed a button. “Here. They’ll answer from the hall. Say who you are and ask for Dr House. Tell them to get him down here.”

“How do you know he will accept to treat me?” Allen questioned while his partner-in-crime spoke on the phone.

“You’ve been lucky. Among the people you could hold hostage you chose me. I’m his best friend and I’m also a close friend of the Dean of the hospital. He’ll get a look at you if you tell that it is the price for my life,” he answered. “And even if he doesn’t believe you and doesn’t agree to follow your orders, Dr Cuddy would force him to accept anyway. If none of these options work I’ll speak to him through the phone and try to convince him that your case is not boring.”

“We’ve attacked this hospital, we’re holding you hostage…Why do you help me so willingly? I don’t get it.”

“I’m a doctor and you’re a patient. I’m just doing my job.”

The two men stared silently at each other for a while.

“Thanks, Dr Wilson. Steven and I are really grateful. Maybe not all doctors are so bad,” Allen said, smiling quickly.

The oncologist nodded. “You’re welcome. Just…Next time, please, ask before putting on such a mess in a _hospital_ , ok? You risked giving somebody a heart attack.”

“We will. It’s a promise.”

 

“What the hell is going on here?” House shouted as he got out of the elevator and headed towards Cuddy who was standing near the front desk, holding the phone with shaking hands.

“He’s here,” she said in the receiver and then handed it towards the diagnostician. “There are two armed man locked up in the Clinic. One of them apparently is ill and he wants you to treat him. They have a hostage and…”

“My god! The security in this hospital is dreadful! But we already knew that. No wonder one can get in and out with whatever he wants without anyone noticing!” He interrupted sarcastically. “You should take care of it instead of spending all your time trying to be deadly sexy and forcing me to see idiotic people!”

“House, please, it’s important! They have…” She tried again, but he cut her off for the second time.

“A hostage, I know. You’ve already told me!” He brought the receiver to his ear before she could open her mouth once more. “Dr House speaking. Listen, you two, whoever you are! Haven’t you read the sign out of the buildings?” He saw the Dean of Medicine getting paler at his words, but decided to ignore her. She was always too emotional. “This is a _hospital_ , guys. You don’t need to have a gun and to threaten random people if you want to see a doctor! Asking and waiting for your turn is enough, trust me. And it’s also less dangerous and tiring. Don’t you agree? Or maybe are you too fond of drama? Stop acting like the idiots you are and get your asses out of the Clinic. I’m not going to accept you as my patient only because you are showing off. I’ll look at your case and then decide if it is worth my attention.”

“They had warned me about you being an ass. Nice, I like that,” Allen’s calm voice answered. “But I was underestimating you, I admit it. You should thank the fact I’m not a quick-tempered person or I would have done something _really_ stupid to my guest here. I must inform you that I’m not giving you a choice. Either you accept my case or the young man who’s keeping us company will endure a bad experience.”

“Oh, are you threatening _me_ now? I’m so scared! I think I’m going to cry!” House mocked. “If you were as bad as you want me to believe you wouldn’t have released all the other hostages.”

“Nice deduction, Doc. But I guess you didn’t give your boss the time to tell you _who_ my hostage is. If it was a stranger I would have reacted like you had in the same situation but, well, this little detail change everything, I guess…Why don’t you speak to him?”

“Yeah…Give him the phone,” the diagnostician said slowly, glancing at Cuddy questioning. She shot him a deadly glare as an answer and shook her head.

“House.” Wilson’s voice came out from the phone, making him start. He sounded nervous, but not really scared. “Care to stop being your usual bastard self for a moment, please?”

“Wilson?! You _idiot_! How did you get in this mess? I told you not to talk to strangers with guns!” He exclaimed, mentally cursing. Now he knew why the Dean of Medicine was so agitated and why she was trying to kill him with her glance. Why had it to be his damned _best friend_ among all the people of the hospital?

“Damn you, House! It’s not the moment for jokes! Just help me out of here! I’m not getting _shot_ because you’re a spoiled child,” the oncologist pleaded. “Listen. This man has been seen by five doctors and none of them have succeeded in finding out what’s wrong with him. They just thought it was flu and hypochondria. He has fever and shows signs of general weakness. And he may have some ventilation problems.”

“Do you understand that it could really be just a bad _cold_?” The diagnostician pointed out. “But I guess I’ll have to treat the eventual flu as well.”

“It’s not flu, House. They cure him for that but he kept on getting worse. None of the treatments has given positive results. It has started five month ago.”

House kept silent for a moment. Five months of apparently incurable flu? Could be something. Besides he really needed to get Wilson out of trouble. He was a bit worried about his friend’s safety even if he had no intention of admitting it.

“Hang in, Jimmy, I’m coming to rescue you,” he stated and hung up. He turned towards Cuddy. “Go and get my team. Tell them to wait in my office. It seems that we have a case. And it could be quite promising,” he declared in a fake happy tone, before limping towards the Clinic doors. “And you could have told me it was _Wilson_!”

“I tried to! You didn’t give me a chance to speak!” She protested, her voice filled with annoyance and worry, as she tried to follow him. “House, what do you want to do?”

“I said, get my team! I’m accepting the case, so no worries. I’ll take care of Wilson,” he reassured ignoring her sceptical glance. Then he raised his voice and spoke to the presents: “Come on, this is the end of the show! Don’t you have work to do? The Clinic will be available in a few minutes so, if someone is dying, please hold tight.” Since everybody just kept staring at him shocked, he shook his head and turned around, knocking on the glass. “Hey, come out, you idiots! I’m taking the case, so you don’t need those guns anymore. I need my favourite oncologist back!”

The doors opened almost immediately and Wilson stepped out, a concerned glance on his face. House’s eyes wandered briefly on his figure, making sure his best friend was OK, and the diagnostician fought back the relief he felt. No way was he giving somebody the satisfaction to see him worried.

“Cuddy, don’t called the police, their guns are fake. It was just a bad act on,” the oncologist said urgently ignoring his friend’s look. “And we need a room quickly. I’m afraid he will need assisted ventilation soon.”

Behind him Allen was standing with an arm on Mitchell shoulders, his breath getting quicker and more difficult. The shorter man looked at House, desperate. “Please, you must do something!”

The diagnostician stared at the two men, lost in thought. “That definitely isn’t a bad cold…” he muttered slowly. He had the feelings this was going to be a nice puzzle.


	3. Roles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back once again!
> 
> Here goes the third chapter! First part of the diagnosis and some humour...Mainly House teasing everybody, Wilson the most. But isn't it what he always does?
> 
> Thanks to the ones who are reading the story! May I ask for a review? It would mean a lot to me! Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> *Disclamar*: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> *Note*: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), /don't like, don't read please!/

**Chapter 3 – _Roles_**

“White male, forty-one years old. Fever, general weakness, shortness of breath,” House said entering the conference room next to his office and throwing a folder on the table. “He enjoys drama and seems to like carrying a fake gun to scare out whole hospitals with the help of his idiotic best friends! And also enjoys kidnapping other people’s best friends.” He shot a meaningful glare to Wilson who had entered immediately after him.

The said oncologist rolled his eyes. “House, quit it. They were desperate. People do stupid things when they are desperate,” he talked back, a slight hint of annoyance his voice. His tone darkened even more as he added: “You above everybody else should know that.”

“But I can because I’m me. And that’s really cool!” The diagnostician commented, ignoring the hidden meaning in his best friend’s words, before turning his attention back to his team. “Any ideas? And it’s not flu before somebody had the brilliant idea to say it.”

“Is the guy from the Clinic?” Chase asked, ignoring his boss’s questions.

“You really accepted the case?” Cameron exclaimed shocked, almost at the same time. “Wilson, are you OK?”

“I’ll go for mental illness and psychosomatic symptoms considering what he’s done. What he truly needs is not us, but nice psychiatrist for him and his friend,” Foreman commented sarcastically.

“Yes, Chase, it’s the idiot with the _fake_ gun. And yes, Cameron, _we_ accepted the case. Cuddy would have killed me if I’d left her Head of Oncology with those two. Jimmy’s fine, he has even made friends with his kidnapers. Which doesn’t surprise me at all, by the way. What do you think, could it be Stockholm syndrome? Now, as nice as discussing that might be, we have a case, if you didn’t hear that part,” House answered, impatience staining his voice. “And, Foreman, don’t tell them they’re crazy or they may find a true gun and shoot you.” He opened his arms. “Now can we go back to the diagnosis now or do you have other stupid questions to ask?”

“If it’s not flu, it could be another infection. It explains the general weakness and the fever,” Chase hypothesised. “If it has reached the lungs it could also explain the breathing deficit too.”

“He was treated for flu. If it had been an infection, the drugs should have helped or at least slowed down the illness development,” Wilson objected, moving to stand near the table. For once he was grateful for House’s bad manners. He was really not in the mood to discuss what had just happened at the Clinic. “Instead he kept getting worse and worse.”

“It could be a resistant strain,” Cameron offered, not wanting to give his idea up so easily.

“It could be. If he stopped taking the drugs they gave him, it can explain why his temperature has raised again,” Foreman completed. “They helped keeping the infection under control. Without them, it has worsened again and the symptoms have some back.”

“Nice, I like that! Go, do the routine test for infections and bring me Idiot Number One’s anamnesis! Wilson, you can go and talk to Idiot Number Two. I’m sure he has something interesting to say as well,” House ordered, resting back on the table the maker he had used to write down the symptoms on the white board. “We’ll compare their versions and see if they tell the same story.”

“Yeah, because everybody lies,” James quoted with a deep sigh. “House, I remind you that I have my own patients and I can’t…”

“Is somebody dying?” His best friend interrupted, clearly on the edge of getting impatient once again.

“Not that I know,” he answered patiently. He already knew how that discussion would end, because House always got what he wanted in the end, but he wouldn’t go down without a fight. “But that doesn’t mean that…”

“Do you have any appointments this morning?”

“This is not the point. I…”

“Any meetings?”

“No. House…”

“That’s it, then! You can work for me,” the diagnostician claimed, interrupting him one last time, determined to close the matter there. “Besides I know you want to take care of this particular case.” He raised an eyebrow in the oncologist’s direction, daring him to talk back, before ordering in a solemn tone: “Now, go, my brave doctors, and bring me something to work on!” Then, without waiting for an answer, he started limping towards his office.

The other four shook their heads exasperated and walked out of the room to carry put their tasks.

 

“So, Steven, can you tell me when Harry’s illness started?” Wilson asked, handing Mitchell a mug of coffee. “When did you notice he was ill?”

“It was five months ago, more or less. Harry caught a bad cold and had to stay at home from work for three days because he had high fever,” Steven explained, taking the cup with a small nod and sitting on the oncologist’s couch. “He recovered from it, but he was left with a sense of general weakness that has never improved. He told me, but none of us got worried at the beginning. I mean, some colds leave you drained, it seemed nothing important.” He turned the mug in his hands. “After a month, however, he still wasn’t feeling better. On the contrary, he got worse again and the fever came back. The drugs helped a bit, but as soon as Harry stopped taking them his temperature raised again. Then, two weeks ago, he started having troubles breathing too.” He let out a sigh. “Harry has never been ill before, Dr Wilson. He caught a few colds, but nothing too serious. I’m really worried. That’s why I agreed to help him with the act in the Clinic. Even if I knew from the start that it was a bad idea.”

“I see. You have all the reasons to be worried, Steven, though you shouldn’t have agreed with his plan. It could have made things even worse for you both,” James commented, joining the other on the couch. Then his fine softened. “You two must be very close.”

Mitchell laughed slightly, but there was no humour in his voice. “You’re right. It was such a bad idea…” He agreed, shaking his head before taking a sip of coffee. “Yes, we are. I’ve known Harry for years now and, since none of us is good with women, we spend most of our free time together. We’ve always been there for each other. We even live together. You know, also to save money.” He smiled sadly. “I don’t know what I’d do without Harry. My life would be much emptier.”

Wilson couldn’t help thinking that he felt the same about House. Despite all the problems that his best friend caused him, the diagnostician was the only steady thing in his life together with his work. He would have probably been lost without him at this point. “So, I assume that Harry hasn’t got a girlfriend or a partner of some sort.”

The other man shrugged. “No, he hasn’t. He was going out with a nice woman, but it ended six month ago. She broke up with him because she couldn’t stand his behaviour anymore.”

The oncologist couldn’t help his curiosity at those words. “What do you mean? Has he been acting oddly or in an unusual way recently?”

Once again Steven chuckled, this time a bit more sincerely. “Oh, no, nothing like that, Doc,” he answered slightly amused. “You see, Harry grows very possessive when he becomes attached to someone. And sometimes he can be unbearably jealous. He’s like that because he lost his parents when he was still in high school. A car accident. He was destroyed.” He licked his lips slightly. “Personally, I don’t mind and I’m quite used to it, but I can’t blame who can’t stand him. It’s not easy at all. At times freak out too because of his ways. Especially when I’m the one who’s got a girlfriend. Harry does nothing but sticking around and controlling me. He wants to make sure I’m happy with her. And that inevitably leads to a breakup.”

“I see. I’m sorry for Harry’s loss. I’m not surprised that he tries to keep the people he cares as close to him as possible. I know what it means being friends with a difficult person, even if my situation is quite different from yours,” the oncologist sighed, glancing towards the door in the direction of House’s office. “They always find a way to drive you crazy all the time.”

“You’re talking about Dr House, aren’t you?” Steven asked with a small grin. “I dare to say that he’s more difficult than Harry even if I don’t know him.”

“And I think you’re right,” Wilson smiled in turn. He was discovering he liked talking to the man, even after their rough start of that morning. He was polite, but also showed that he was genuinely interested in what they were discussing. “He’s simply impossible.”

“He looks like it. And what about the beautiful girl who was with you in the Clinic?” Mitchell asked suddenly, curious. “Is she your girlfriend? She looks really attached to you.”

“Who, Sophia? Oh, no, no. She’s just a colleague and another very good friend. And, weirdly, I don’t want us to be anything else,” James answered, quickly rubbing the back of his neck. “Besides, her heart is already taken and I’m trying to get a break from women at the moment.”

“A break? Why? Did you have some bad experiences recently?”

“Oh, more than bad experiences and not only recently!” House’s voice said making them both jump. The diagnostician entered the balcony door, as he kept speaking. “Three failed marriage and relative divorces, and a lot of affairs, none of them lasting more than two weeks. Our Boy Wonder Oncologist is also known as Mr. Panty Peeler by the nurses. And not without reason.”

“House!” Wilson exclaimed, blushing furiously. His best friend always had the worst timing. “Shut up! Damn you!”

“Oh, come on, Jimmy! He would have heard it from somebody else,” the older man stated, rolling his eyes. “Everybody in this hospital knows almost everything about your sex life.”

Wilson refrained from running a hand on his face in exasperation. “Yeah, but anyone else would have used other words to explain it.”

“I didn’t know we were discussing semantics! Anyway, shouldn’t you be taking the patient’s anamnesis instead of yours?”

“It’s my fault, Dr House. I asked Dr Wilson some personal question and he was just answering them,” Steven interjected. “We were talking about Harry just a minute ago.”

“You don’t need to defend him, Mr. Idiot Number Two. He can do it himself. Jimmy’s a big boy,” House shot back in a mocking tone, rolling his eyes at Mitchell. “Besides, he doesn’t need to do it with me. I’m his poor crippled best friend!” He tapped his fingers on the handle of his cane. “Come on, Wilson. My ducklings have the tests results. And lunch time has already passed. I’m hungry.”

“I’m coming,” James sighed. He turned to Steven. “We’ll talk another time, Steven. I must go now.”

“It’s alright, Doc. I’ll go and stay with Harry. See you later,” the man answered and left the room with a wave in the two doctors’ direction.

“Are you planning to marry him as well?” The diagnostician asked as soon as the door had closed, taking out his Vicodin bottle and swallowing a pill. “’Cause if you do, then you’re more fucked up than I had thought.”

“What?! House, what are you even saying?” The oncologist stared at him, taken aback. “I thought you had no doubt at least about my sexual orientation!”

“You can never be sure. He’s desperate and you get off on that. It’s a given fact,” the older man answered closing the window. “And since you said him you were trying to take a break from women, I thought that maybe you wanted to test the other side!”

“House, you’re crazy.”

“Thanks, dear. But I’m glad I got it wrong. It means I’m the only one for you!”

James raised his eyes towards the ceiling as he opened the door for his friend, but said nothing. Whatever answer he might have come up with would have been turned against him, so he decided that silence was a much wiser choice. He wasn’t willingly giving his best friend another chance to make fun of him, not for the next hour at least.

They reached the conference room where House’s assistants were waiting for them. Cameron was holding some papers, most likely the results of the tests, and the three seemed to be discussing something lively.

“Sorry if we kept you waiting,” the diagnostician declared entering the room and gaining the attention of the presents. “Wilson was flirting with Idiot Number Two!”

The oncologist shot him a deadly glare. “I wasn’t _flirting_ with him,” he spelled out trying not to blush once again. He was painfully aware of the fact that the three assistants were staring at him in disbelief, but he did his best to pretend not to have noticed. “I was collecting information as you asked and also trying to be nice. That man’s best friend is ill and nobody seems to know what he has. Steven needs someone to reassure him.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, sorry! You were just being _friendly_ , of course,” House said clearly not meaning a word of what he was telling. “You’re always friendly with the nurses too.”

“Didn’t you say we were here for the tests results?” James asked, trying to drop the subject.

“We ran the routine tests and searched for signs of infection. They were all negative,” Cameron interjected quickly, shooting a sympathetic glare to the oncologist, who thanked her with a little smile. “If it’s an infection, we were unable to find it. But the CK levels are much higher than normal.”

“He also accused weakness again during the tests, and Chase and I had to help him walk back to his bed because his legs were failing him,” Foreman added, looking like he wished he hadn’t heard a word of the first part of the discussion that had just taken place. “He was starting to be out of breath by the time we reached the room.”

“So, abnormally high levels of CK and more weakness. Maybe a start of paralysis. I’m seriously starting to want to have a chat to the idiots who kept treating him for a cold.” The diagnostician wrote the new symptoms on the board. “Anything else?”

“He told us he’s been suffering of migraines and that recently he has kept falling without a true reason,” Chase answered moving his gaze from his co-workers to his boss. “Just his legs giving out like it happened while we were taking the sample.”

“Interesting. I bet you have some new ideas now!” He clapped his hands. “Ready…Go!”

“It could be a form of dystrophy. Maybe Becker’s,” Foreman offered. “It matched the progressive weakening of the muscles and the high levels of CK.”

“What about SMA?” Chase proposed. “It also explains the gradual weakening and the CK.”

“Or it could be something completely different. Polymyositis?” Cameron hypothesised.

“All nice diagnosis. But what about the fever? And the migraines? None of your ideas explains them,” House pointed out, clearly not pleased with the options he had been given. “You’re focusing only on his muscular weakening. That’s not the reason he came to us for.”

“Yes, because it’s what will kill him if we don’t find a way to stop it,” the neurologist pointed out. “It’s not only about the ability of walking, but it affects his respiratory system!”

“Foreman is right,” Chase agreed. “Besides migraines and fever can be the result of the weakness. His body is tired and so his immune system is less reactive. They could be the remnant of that famous flu he actually had five months ago.”

“Or they could be a symptom!” Their boss insisted.

Wilson, who had remained silent for the whole time, stepped in. “House is right. There are great possibilities that they’re all related to whatever illness we are looking for. Steven told me that Harry has never got ill before. That should mean that he has a strong immune system. And I doubt that it would fail only because of tiredness and a cold. There must be a real cause.”

His best friends glared at him. “Don’t tell me you’re going to suggest he has _cancer_!”

“I never even thought that,” James answered, closing his eyes for a moment. “The fact that I’m an oncologist doesn’t mean that I must think that everything is related to cancer!”

“Normally this is what happens,” the diagnostician pointed out, with a fake sheepish grin. He then turned to his team. “Now, I have to admit that your hypothesis make sense. Foreman, do a genetic test for Becker’s dystrophy. Chase, you do the same for SMA. Cameron, do an electromyography for now. If the other tests are negative, do a lumbar puncture and look for signs of infection. And a muscular biopsy,” he ordered. “Come on, quick! These tests take some time and you were the ones worried about him becoming unable to breathe!”

The three doctors gathered their things and rushed out of the room, leaving the two older men alone in the conference room.

House remained silent for a while, his gaze fixed on the space in front of him. Whatever was affecting their patient was too slow to be one of the diseases they had listed. He cleared the board with a few quick gestures and wrote their hypothesis down, before pulling out his Vicodin bottle again and swallowing two more pills.

“Come and buy me lunch,” he told after a moment to his best friend, who had kept quiet not to disturb his thoughts. “It’s almost three thirty.”

“Sure.” Wilson followed him out of the room and they walked together towards the elevator. “You’re not convinced, are you?”

“No. There’s something we are missing but I can’t grasp what,” the diagnostician answered slowly. “I’m quite sure it’s something genetic, but my ducklings’ ideas are not the right ones.”

“Look on the bright side. If it’s really genetic, it can’t get worse so quickly and you have all the time for tests.”

“That’s true. Unless something unexpected happens.”

The oncologist glared at him. “You wish it happened, don’t you? Just to make the case more exciting. Well, it won’t, House. Put up with it.”

“We’ll see. And I’m not making it a bet because I would hate to see you cry because you lost to me again.” The older man shot him a knowing look as they entered the elevator. “Now…What were we discussing? Oh yes. Your sexual orientation. Nice topic. Even if I do have to admit that I’ve never considered that it could need to be discussed.”

“House, quit it! It still doesn’t need to, because there’s really nothing to discuss!” Wilson exploded, incredulous. Why was that idiot still going around that of all things?

“I’ll quit bothering you if you quit lying to me.”

“But I’m not lying!”

“Persistent, eh? Then I’ll tell Cuddy that you were flirting with Idiot Number Two.”

James bit back a sigh. House could be a genius, but most of the times he acted like a small, spoilt kid. “You’re the stubborn one, not me. I don’t even know why I’m listening to you. And I wasn’t flirting with Steven! Besides she’ll never believe you.”

“Oh, but I know.”

“Then why do you want to tell her?!”

House smirked. “Because I like teasing you,” he sang stepping out of the elevator. “And you’re quite cute all flushed as you are now. Has anyone ever told you that?”

“What the…” James spluttered, blushing even more, and quickly followed the older man. “You’re incredible! I can’t believe I’m still listening to your…”

“Oh, look who’s approaching us, Jimmy!” The diagnostician cut him off, diverting his attention on the approaching figure. “Good afternoon, Sunshine! Nice neckline. Did you need it to convince the Board that this morning that the attack doesn’t show how weak the hospital security is?”

Cuddy rolled her eyes as she joined them. “I have no time or patience for your jokes, House,” she told him firmly. “Don’t even start.”

“Is that time of the month?” The older man asked in a fake candid tone.

She decided to ignore him. That conversation wasn’t going anywhere. “How is the case going? I’m still persuaded that we should have called the police after what happened.”

“Cameron, Chase and Foreman are running tests for genetic diseases. We should have the results in few hours,” the oncologist answered in the diagnostician’s place, to prevent the latter to make more bad jokes. “Don’t worry, Lisa. Harry and Steven are good people. They just gave into their anxiety and made the wrong choice. They’re not dangerous, they meant no harm.”

“If you say so,” the Dean of Medicine muttered, still sceptical. “But I don’t like them. Find out what Allen has, treat him and throw them out.”

“It will be my pleasure!” House exclaimed. “But I’m afraid poor Wilson won’t be as happy as us! He was flirt…”

“House, cut it off!” James interjected, before he could finish the sentence. “It’s not true.”

“Have I just heard the word “flirt”?” Cuddy asked, raising an eyebrow as I looked between the two doctors. “Do I want to know?”

“There’s nothing to know,” the oncologist claimed embarrassed. He was so going to kill his best friend this time.

“I don’t think you want to know that our little James was hitting on my patient’s _male_ best friend!” The diagnostician said with a childish smirk in his face. “It could shock you and that is the last thing I want.”

“What?!” She exclaimed loudly in surprised, moving her gaze from a more than amused House to a quite bothered Wilson. Then she lowered her voice. “What’s this about, House? Some idiotic bet? Or one of your games?”

The grin on the older man face widened. “Ooops, I slipped! Mommy’s shocked now.”

“It’s just one of his awful jokes, Lisa,” the younger doctor hurried to explain. “I spoke to Steven because _House_ asked me to get information about the patient. He insists that I’m hitting on Mitchell because he’s really worried about Allen and I _love_ desperate people!”

“House, you’re unbelievably childish,” the Dean of Medicine sighed, fixing a lock of dark hair. “You’re upset because you were forced to take the case and you blame Wilson because he got himself kidnapped. You’re torturing him to make him pay for that.”

Wilson stared at his best friend incredulous. “Is that true? House! I didn’t ask to be taken as a hostage!” He complained.

“Oh, Cuddy, you spoiled my fun!” House whined ignoring the other man. “Now I’ll have to find another way to spend the day.”

“So much worse for you!” She talked back. “Besides, even if it was true, what would you care? Wilson can date whoever he wants, female or _male_. It’s his choice. As his friend, you must be supportive as long as the relationship doesn’t harm James.” A little grin appeared on her lips. “Or maybe you’re jealous? Think about it. Sorry, gentlemen, I have to go now. I have an hospital to run. Keep me informed about the case. Have a nice afternoon.” And she left without giving them the time to answer.

“What the hell was that supposed to mean?” James asked after some moments of silence, completely caught off guard.

“I have no idea,” House said as speechless as his friend was. But he recovered quickly and added: “Must be her hormones talking. Because she really sounded like she was implying I’ve got the hots for you.”

The younger man opened his mouth to reply, but he closed it almost immediately after, realising he didn’t know what to say and turning bright red once again. “Let’s get lunch,” he whispered and started walking towards the cafeteria without waiting for a reply. What the hell was wrong with him? He had never blushed like that and never so often. Well, maybe when he was still in college. And it wasn’t just that. There was a strange feeling in his stomach that he couldn’t put into focus. He was feeling awkward once again, even if it was a bit different from the sensation of the night before.

House observed shadows and emotions passing quickly on his friend’s face. There were embarrassment, confusion, annoyance, discomfort and something else he could not recognise. It came to his mind that Wilson had acted weirdly also the day before at his apartment. The two of them had had one of their “boys’ evenings” with food and alcohol, but near the end the oncologist had started to look uncomfortable and lost in his own thoughts. He had tried to make him spit out what was bothering him, but James hadn’t been collaborative at all. He had been forced to give up, at least for the moment, and he had acted like everything was fine. But, deeply inside, he still wanted to know what had caused such a mood swing and, now that Wilson was showing it again, he decided that he really needed to know what was going on. He was led mainly by curiosity, but he was also aware that it wasn’t the only reason. He was worried about the consequence of his late actions on their friendship. The oncologist had always forgiven him, no matter how far he had gone, but he couldn’t help wondering if he had pushed too far this time.

He shook his head, chasing those thoughts away. He couldn’t believe he was thinking something like that. It sounded like a very cheap romance. He had better stay focused on his current case and avoid such sentimental thoughts. They were uselessly stupid and didn’t help at all.

Holding back a sigh, he got in line behind Wilson to take his food and covered it with salad as always. He was the one who worked out the diagnoses, fixing relationships was the oncologist’s job. So he just needed to wait. If they had a problem, it would come out sooner or later.


	4. New elements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!
> 
> Cameron finds a new element for the diagnosis and House meets Sophia by chance. Wilson is not really happy about their meeting because it seems to bring him only troubles. There are some new information about my OC,but the chapter mostly revolves around the canons!
> 
> Thanks to who read the story! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think! Reviews help me go on!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> *Disclaimer*: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> *Notes*: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), *don't like, don't read /please/*!

**Chapter 4 – _New elements_**

“Ok, we’re done with the blood,” Chase announced, pressing a cotton ball on the hole left by the syringe. “Now, Dr Cameron will do another test and after that we’ll leave you alone for a while.”

“May I ask why you took my blood again? You already did the blood tests this morning,” Harry asked, moving his gaze among the three doctors. “Did you find out what’s wrong with me?”

The three exchanged glances and then Cameron spoke. “We have some hypothesis. We need the blood to verify them and then choose the best therapy for you. The other exam I’m going to do has the same aim,” she said, trying to keep her voice still. “We…We think you could have a genetic disease. Some of them give the first sign during adulthood and that’s why you were fine until some months ago.”

“And what kind of genetic disease do you suspect?” Steven questioned, a hint of worry in his tone. “Is it curable?”

“We have three hypotheses. One is Becker’s muscular dystrophy. It causes the progressive weakening of the muscles, especially the ones of the legs and pelvis. It can also affect respiratory system and cause heart disease, but it’s very rare and usually these complications are not present when the disease arises in patients of your age,” Foreman explained calmly. “Unfortunately, there are no treatments for Becker’s dystrophy, but if it doesn’t show complications it’s not terminal and you could have a nearly normal lifespan. We can keep it under control. The dystrophy results in slowly progressive disability and you’ll end up almost surely needing a cane or a wheelchair. But you could still live quite normally, and physical activity is highly recommended because it helps maintaining muscle strength.”

“The second hypothesis is spinal muscular atrophy,” Chase exposed after him. “There are no treatments for SMA either, even if there’s a lot of researching going on as it is for Becker’s dystrophy. The effects are similar to the ones brought by dystrophy and there are high probabilities you’ll end up needing a wheelchair, but you have less chances to develop other complications and your life expectancy will be unaffected.”

“Our last option is polymyositis. It’s a chronic inflammation of the muscles. It’s not genetic and it’s treatable. It could be linked to cancer or virus infections. Usually it’s not fatal if it doesn’t affect the lungs too much. We can treat it with corticosteroids,” Cameron spoke at last, forcing a small sympathetic smile on her lips. “However, your symptoms don’t really much this diagnosis for now. Maybe it could be because it’s at first stages, but we aren’t sure. I’ll do the electromyography and later a biopsy just to exclude it. It’s the best prognosis, but it’s also the less probable one. I’m sorry, Harry.”

“Great. If I’m not dying I’m becoming disabled. I want to see the faces of those idiots who told me I just had flu and hypochondria!” Allen exclaimed sarcastically. Then he sighed. “Sorry. You guys have nothing to do with that. Thanks for the sincerity and for not covering the bad sides. I’ll…I’ll have to put up with the idea.”

“I’ll be by your side, Harry, you know that. I won’t leave you, you’re my best friend,” Mitchell said softly, squeezing the other man’s hand and receiving a little smile as an answer. He turned towards the three doctors. “But what about his fever and migraine? Now, I’m not a doctor, but none of your diagnoses seems to explain them.”

“That’s why ours are only hypothesis. We supposed that they’re due to the general weakness brought by the progressive degeneration, but Dr House thinks otherwise,” the neurologist answered calmly. “We need to do the tests. If we’re wrong, we’ll need to come up with other ideas.”

“It could be something else?” Steven asked, not knowing if he should feel relieved or even more worried.

“Yes, it could. Harry has a high level of CK, an enzyme, and it’s an indication of muscular damage. We’re focusing on this result because in our opinion is linked to your respiratory problems and those are the most worrisome symptom right now,” Cameron stated. “But we still need to run other tests and see if House comes up with some other diagnosis.”

“That’s fine. You can run all the tests you need. Thanks again,” Harry sighed, resigned. “Dr Chase, Dr Foreman, you can go back to your work. Dr Cameron, I’m ready for your exam.”

Chase and Foreman nodded and waved goodbye before exiting the room while the immunologist prepared the machine for the test. Allen was staring at the wall in front of him, lost in thoughts, his hand absently squeezing his friend’s. Steven had sat on the bad, a worried look on his face, and he was trying hard not to come out with more questions. He knew Harry had already enough things to think about.

“Steven, you have to move, I’m sorry,” Cameron said softly once she was ready. The man immediately obeyed, getting up quietly, and she turned to her patient. “I’m going to insert these needles in your muscles to test the conduction. It’s going to hurt a bit, but you have to hold on. If it’s too much, we’ll stop for a while and then started again. OK?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “I’m ready. Do what you must, Dr Cameron.”

She smiled warmly and reassuringly holding the needles. “You both can call me Allison.”

“It’s a beautiful name,” Steven commented smiling a bit in turn. “Don’t you think so, Harry?”

“Yeah. A beautiful name for a gorgeous woman,” Harry commented winking at his friend and making the woman blush. “You can start, Allison.”

She nodded, clearing her throat slightly to dissipate the embarrassment that the compliment had brought them, and she focused the exam. Wilson was right, the men in front of her were good people. Their false attack in the Clinic had been only a desperate act to get the attention they needed. She hoped with all her heart that they would find the best way to treat Harry and to give him the higher life quality his disease allowed. He deserved to enjoy his life with his best friend. She smiled a bit watching the two exchanging glances and little grins. Or she should have said his soon-to-be more-than-friend.

 

Sophia stirred, changing her position on the couch, and looked at the clock. Half past four. After spending the night in the E.R. that wasn’t the best place to sleep, but she hadn’t find a more comfortable one. After what had happened in the morning, she had decided to stay at the hospital, in the case that James needed to speak to her.

The intensivist had noticed that her friend seemed quite caught by the case, but she hadn’t been able to understand why and that had made her a bit worried. For this reason, she had started to look for a place where she could take a nap. She had slept for two hours in her department common room, but she had been forced to leave at lunch break because the place had become too crowded. She had looked for a spare room in the Clinic with no luck and had tried to convince the nurses to give her a cop, but they had refused. The only good thing she had obtained from them was an appointment with a pretty nurse at five, which was much better than nothing. Then she had remembered that Wilson had a couch in his office and she had opted for it. Now, after more than three hours spent on the deformed pillows, she was no longer sure that she it had been a great idea. However, she what she knew that she didn’t want to move because her body still need some rest.

However, before she could fall asleep once again, the door opened, starting her. Sophia turned, not totally awaken, and she found herself staring in amazing cerulean eyes. For a moment she thought she had to be dreaming, but then a familiar voice brought her back to reality.

“God, Sophia! What are you doing still here? I thought you’ve gone home!” Wilson exclaimed, not less surprised than the young woman. Then he turned to House. “I can explain. It’s not what you think!”

“Instead it is, Jimmy!” The diagnostician smirked. “So, this is your little friend from the E.R.! As always you’ve good tastes!”

“She’s just a friend, I told you already,” the oncologist said exasperated. “Don’t start!”

“Start what?” His best friend put on an innocent expression. “I wasn’t implying that she’s your flame. I did it before, but if we consider the latest news I’ve received about her, I have to admit that I was wrong. And I know you have a new kind of target right now!”

“House…” James warned threatening, but he couldn’t add anything else because he was interrupted.

“Oh, so you’re the infamous Gregory House!” Sophia interjected, trying to get his friend out of troubles. She would have asked for more details later. She stood up and offered her hand to the older man. “I’m Sophia Ure, from the E.R. as you already seem to know. Nice to meet you. James talks about you all the time!”

House shook her hand after staring at it for few seconds. “Gregory House, as you already seemed to know,” he offered with a light mocking tone, shooting a glare to his best friend. “I’m not surprised hearing that Wilson talks a lot about me. He _loves_ me after all!”

Wilson rolled his eyes annoyed. “Oh yes! I’ve been madly in love with you all the time since the day we met for the first time!” He shot back sarcastically. “I was planning to ask you to marry me.”

“That’s sweet from you, Jimmy, but I’m not sure I want to become the fourth Mrs. Wilson,” House retorted with the same tone. “What about a simple cohabitation?”

“I thought you already lived together, at least unofficially,” the intensivist commented lightly. “James spends almost all his nights on your couch. I often wonder why he insists on having his own apartment.”

The oncologist met her eyes and she winked to him giving him a smiled the man didn’t like at all. He knew that grin and what it meant. And he was afraid of its consequences.

“Your friend here likes to tease!” The diagnostician stated, amused. “That’s something I don’t mind at all. You gained a point, Miss. And I may give you another one if you tell me how you hadn’t fallen head over heels for our Mr. Panty Peeler.”

“It’s quite simple. I’m already committed to someone else,” she answered with a sad smile. “James is a beautiful person and under different circumstances I would likely have fallen for him, but it’s not the case. I don’t want a serious relationship and, as you know, he always goes for that kind of bonds. Our expectations are not compatible.”

“Yeah, he almost always marries the girls he falls for. Just to cheat on them as soon as he gets the chance to,” the diagnostician said, gaining a deadly look from his best friend. Once again he completely ignored it. “But, correct me if I’m wrong. You’re saying that you’re committed to somebody but you’re also ready to fuck whoever catches your sexual interest? That’s intriguing. There’s some sort of logic behind it, isn’t it?” He fixed his penetrating eyes on her, as he was trying to read her secret thoughts. “You’re in love with someone who don’t want or can’t reciprocate your feelings. You’ve given your metaphorical heart to this person, but you also accept the fact that your body still has needs. So, you go only for physical encounters aimed to satisfy your occasional desires. You’re really good-looking and you can do that easily.”

“House, don’t…” Wilson interjected, but the intensivist stopped him.

“It’s fine, James. Don’t worry,” she said, offering the oncologist a smile before turning her attention back to the diagnostician. “You’re good with psychology, Dr House. Congratulations! You got me. Maybe one day I’ll tell you the whole story. For now, let’s say that my love is forever taken but, since the person I love and _married_ died five years ago, I decided that I could still get some physical satisfaction. There’s no cheating because it’s just my body. Besides I have her explicit permission.” She titled her head. “Wanna be one of the lucky ones who get a chance with me, doctor? You caught my interest with those pretty eyes of yours. And not only with them…”

“Sophia! Don’t flirt with him! My God…You’re absurd. Both of you!” James exploded incredulous. The sudden shift of the conversation had caught him off guard, but he had quickly recovered enough to become horrified by the implications of the woman’s words. “House, you have your hookers. You don’t need one of my closest friends to gratify you.”

“Come on, Wilson. She’s free, my usual girls are not. Don’t spoil my fun!” House stated with a mocking grin. “Besides, _she_ asked for that, not me. I would be a very ill-mannered person if I say no to this beauty.”

“Don’t worry, James. It’s just a fuck. I’m not stealing him from you,” Sophia pointed out, matter-of-factly, even if there was an amused light in her eyes. “No need to be jealous. And, who knows, maybe you’ll understand what’s going on.” Her pager rang in that moment. She took it out quickly and read the message. “I have to go! Amy is getting off right now,” she announced. “Let me know if you’re interested, _Greg_. I’ll eagerly wait for your answer. I’ll see you tomorrow, James! And don’t be mad. Just think about what I said.” She waved both doctors goodbye with a bright grin and ran out of the room.

“Is she seeing Amy from Neurology? Why am I surprised? After Michael last month it was quite obvious she was the next one,” Wilson muttered to himself. He couldn’t believe what had just happened before his eyes. And he also couldn’t believe what the intensivist had implied with her words.

“Isn’t Amy a name for women?” House asked, looking at him.

“Oh, yeah, you missed a little detail. Sophia is _bisexual_. I guess this lights up your interest even more.” The annoyance was burning in the oncologist’s voice. “Enjoy your new game!”

“Not bad. I could think about some nice scenarios knowing this…” The diagnostician mumbled lost in thoughts under the shocked and angered gaze of his best friend. Then he glanced back at the younger man. “What? Can’t a poor cripple look for the best way to enjoy his only sparkles of happiness?”

“It’s not that. You…You…Ah!” Wilson found himself frustratingly out of words and threw his hands in the air. “Do what you want! I don’t care.”

“My God, Jimmy! She was right!” House exclaimed after having stared at him for some seconds. “You are jealous. And you’re not jealous because she is going to fuck with me. You have no problem with her fucking Anne, Jack or whoever. You are jealous because _I_ am the one who’s fucking with her! Are you hot for me, Wilson?”

James blushed to the roots of his hair. “Of course _not_. I’m just disappointed because my best friend is using one of my closest friends as one of his sluts! That’s it!” He almost yelled, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. “I don’t like you… _that_ way! I’m not _gay_! And especially not for you, of all people!”

“What about being bi like that lovely lady?” The teasing answer came.

“House!”

“OK, calm down! I was just joking,” the diagnostician tried to calm him, lifting his hands. “I needed to ask. Your pretty friend is the second person today who implied that we’re sexually attracted to each other. I was just checking if it was true.”

“Tell me you’re joking,” the oncologist groaned incredulous. “We’ve known each other for years. I think we would have noticed if we were attracted to each other.”

“Why are you getting so worked up? I don’t want to fuck you, you don’t want to fuck me. There it is. They’re just stupid rumours and jokes. Case closed.” The older man sat on the couch and took his PSP out. “Now. The tests results will take some more time. Do your paperwork, I’ll keep you company.” He smirked. “Just to feed those rumours.”

Wilson shook his head resigned and sat at his desk. Maybe the paperwork would help him forgetting that absurd conversation he had just had. He didn’t want to think about whom House was planning to sleep with and especially he didn’t want to think about the flood of jealousy that had run through his body hearing that. He wanted to delete Cuddy’s mockery, Sophia’s suggestions, House’s reasoning about him being jealous and that little voice inside his head that was telling they could be right. He sighed closing his eyes. He was tired, he was worried about Steven and Harry, and also about Sophia’s lifestyle and House’s inconstancy. That was it. Nothing else.

 

Cameron was sat in a chair in their patient room. Harry was sleeping, tired after the electromyography that had resulted to be abnormal. The immunologist had decided to wait for Chase and Foreman with Steven, being ready to operate the biopsy if the exams results would have turned out to be negative. Mitchell was sat next to her, his gaze fixed on his friend’s sleeping figure, his mind clearly elsewhere. His left hand was held tight around Harry’s right.

“You know, there are a lot of devices made to help people with motion deficits nowadays,” the young woman said in a sympathetic tone, breaking the silence. “Harry will have all he needs to live an almost normal life, even if he would become unable to walk. He’ll be fine, Steven.” She was trying to be reassuring, hoping it soothed a bit the man’s concern.

“I know that, Allison. He’ll be okay with the practical aspects of life. He’ll be able to work, to enjoy most of his hobbies, to travel,” he answered quietly. His voice held a sad note. “But some little, maybe unimportant things will be denied to him. Things we usually considered as given. And this will burden on him. He won’t be ok emotionally. Can you see what I mean?”

“I can see your point. And I can’t deny it. It will be hard, at the beginning. Maybe he’ll need psychological support from an expert. But I’m sure he’ll get over it,” she claimed convinced. “To me he seems a strong person. And, besides, you’ll be with him. You’re very caring and you would do everything to help him. You’re a great friend, Steven. He’ll have the affection and the hope he needs to go on with his life.”

“I wish I could be as sure as you are, Allison. I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it, to meet all his needs. What if I fail him?” Mitchell shook his head, sighing. “I’m the closest person to him after his parents’ death. He is a very reserved person, even if he acts like the most easy-going man in the world. Getting close to him is hard and staying by his side is even harder. I had fought a lot to gain his trust. I can’t risk breaking it.”

“You won’t fail him. I’m sure Harry knows how much you care for him and he also know that everything you did, do and will do is for his sake. You don’t have to worry about it, you have no reason.” She smiled sincerely. “Tell me something. Is this the reason you haven’t told him about your feelings yet? Are you afraid he would grow away from you?”

The man stared at her caught completely off guard. “You…Why are you…How do you know…?” He stuttered.

“I saw how you look at him. I know that look too well. It means you’re helplessly in love,” she answered simply. “And I also saw how he looks at you. Trust me, you should tell him.”

“You think he could reciprocate me? I don’t know, what is…” Steven stopped in the middle of the sentence and his gaze fixed on Harry. “Allison, he is not breathing!” He exclaimed, panic clear in his voice.

“What? The monitor shows nothing wrong!” Cameron got up and reached the bed lowering herself on her patient’s face. For a moment, she felt nothing but soon after his breath caressed her skin. “He _is_ breathing, I’m pretty sure, I can feel it.”

“But…But…I was sure…His chest has been still for more than ten seconds! I’ve been staring at him the whole time!”

“Steven, relax. He is fine, you’re just extremely worried,” she tried to sooth him with a warm smile. “It’s normal to get agitated easily when you are so anxious about a person you care so much.”

“No, Allison, I’m sure of what I saw,” the man repeated, calmly. “And I can also tell you that it’s not the first time it happens. Sometimes we sleep together…I mean, just _sleep_ in the same bed…and one time, three month ago, I spend almost three hours awake. I suffer from insomnia, you know, and I like watching him sleep. Well, he did it at least fifteen times in an hour. After the third I got so worried that I woke him up, but he seemed fine. I thought it was only his breathing getting very low. I’m not a doctor, I don’t know if it’s possible or if it’s pathological. It has never happened before that time for what I know. At least I’ve never noticed.”

Cameron listened carefully to he said. “And did he wake up with migraine the morning after?” She asked receiving a nod as an answer. “It’s a sleep disorder called sleep apnea. It’s characterized by pauses in breathing or instances of very low breathing during sleep. It can be due to a lack of respiratory effort or a physical block to airflow despite respiratory effort.” She kept quiet for a moment, lost in thoughts. “It explains the migraines. Hypoventilation during night times brings pain, dizziness and sense of nausea. Basilar migraine, said all in one.”

“Do you think it can be a symptom of his disease?”

“It’s very likely. I need to tell House. And it’s not polymyositis. It doesn’t cause sleep apnea. It still can be dystrophy or SMA, but I bet that House will find something different to explain this. And he’ll surely scold us because we haven’t considered fever and migraines as primary symptoms as he suggested.”

“It must be hard to work with him.” Steven smiled a bit.

“It is. But I’ve learned a lot from him, even if he doesn’t know how to interact with people. He’s an excellent doctor,” she nodded smiling in turn. “Tonight we’ll do an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram, to confirm the diagnosis. I’m going to speak to House. I leave Harry to you. I’ll be back as soon as it’s possible. If you need anything call a nurse. Ok?”

“Sure, no problem, Allison,” he answered. “Oh, could you do me a favour? Can you send me Dr Wilson if he’s not busy? I’d like to have a word with him.”

“Of course. He’s usually around House or the other way around, so when I find my boss I’ll find Wilson too. I’ll tell him you’re looking for him. I’ll catch you and Harry later!”

“See you later, Allison. And thanks for everything.”

The immunologist waved him goodbye and left the room, heading towards Wilson’s office. The oncologist had mentioned that he still had some paperwork to do earlier and since House usually spent his time bothering his friend while looking for an epiphany she was quite positive about finding them together. She smiled to herself remembering how much jealous she was back when she still had a big crush on her boss, which she hasn’t totally overcome yet. She’d wanted so much to be the one who could always hang around the diagnostician without being chased away. She often wondered if Wilson truly realised how much their friendship meant to House or if he was oblivious of what was so obvious for her.


	5. Personal matters?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!
> 
> I'm back with the next chapter! So here we have the dialogues between House and Harry, and Wilson and Steven. And our Boy Wonder is going to run into an unforeseen event...
> 
> Thanks to the ones who are reading the story!! Let me know what you think, please!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> *Disclaimer*: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> *Note*: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), *don't like, don't read /please/*!

**Chapter 5 – _Personal matters?_**

A quick knock broke the silence that reigned in the room. House didn’t even bother to look away from the screen of his video-game, leaving the formalities to Wilson. The oncologist sighed, distracted his attention from the papers he was reading and shot a glance to his best friend before calling: “Come in!”

The door opened and Cameron entered the room, not caring to close it behind her. “Harry has a new symptom,” she announced. “Well, not really new. Steven said it has already happened in the past months.”

“What is it?” House asked, fixing his glare on the young woman. She had just used the only words that could catch his interest. “And what about the tests results?”

“Sleep apnea. I was talking to Steven when Harry stopped breathing for about fifteen seconds. I’m doing a polysomnogram to confirm it tonight,” she answered. “The electromyography shows a decrease in duration of the action potential, but the neuromuscular junctions are fine. It’s a myopathic disease. We still don’t have the other results. I checked Foreman and Chase before coming here and they told me that some of the technicians have made a mess with the samples. They are repeating the tests right now. The fever has gone down a bit.”

“Why am I surrounded by idiots?” The diagnostician exclaimed, rolling his eyes. “Let me know when you have the results.” He turned the PSP over his hands, absently. “Sleep apnea. Interesting. So it’s not polymyositis and likely the other diagnoses are wrong too. At least now we have the explanation to migraines. But we still miss the cause of the fever.”

“He could really have an infection, even if the tests didn’t show it. Maybe his disease has somehow lowered his immune system,” Wilson offered.

“Could be. I’m sure that everything is linked. Do the polysomnogram, keep that fever in check and put him under broad-spectrum antibiotics. Do the tests for infections again and don’t forget the lumbar puncture. We don’t want him to die because we have forgotten to cure his cold! And check the other two ducklings, it seems they can’t do anything right by their own.”

Cameron nodded. “OK. I’ll call you as soon as we have the results. Oh, Wilson, Steven asked for you. He said he wants to talk you about something.”

The oncologist looked a bit surprised. “All right. Tell him I’ll be there in few minutes. Thanks, Allison. I’ll take care of the antibiotics, then.”

She waved and exited the room, leaving the two men alone. Wilson started sorting his documents, trying to ignore the fact that his best friend was staring at him with a little grin.

“What?” He gave up in the end, meeting his gaze.

“You and Idiot Number Two really get along well,” House commented sarcastically. “I wonder what he could want from you. Maybe he needs another dose of your “friendly company”.”

“Quit it, House. You don’t interact with patients so you don’t know how it works. You always make the others do the talking for you,” the oncologist stated sounding a bit upset. “Don’t try to understand, it’s not your area.”

“Oh, yes, I had forgotten I’m talking with a specialist,” the diagnostician mocked. “Why don’t you teach me something then, my dear Boy Wonder Oncologist? I’m always looking for new ways to fill my gaps.”

“You just want to know what Steven wants from me,” the younger man talked back. “Maybe Cuddy is partially right, you’re jealous of the attention I give him. But she was wrong about the reason of your jealousy. It’s not because you care about me, but simply because you are an egocentric bastard and you need your public, alias _me_.”

“Oh, Jimmy, you’re hurting me!” His best friend whined faking offence. “Are you questioning my love for you?”

“You wish I was,” Wilson echoed, getting up and heading out of the office. “Don’t follow me!”

House quickly limped behind him, ignoring his last sentence. “I’m not following you. I need to check my patient. Sleep apnea is an interesting phenomenon,” he stated candidly. “And even if I was lying, which I’m not, you said I’m an ass, so you can’t expect me to do what you asked. Egocentric bastards just listen to themselves.”

James rolled his eyes exasperated but did nothing to stop his friend from following him. “When you will stop being so childish?” He sighed, stepping in the elevator. “I don’t know why I put up with you.”

“Because little pretty girls like you love bad guys like me. And you’ll be forced to admit it sooner or later.”

The elevator doors opened before Wilson could find an appropriate retort to the mockery and he simply sighed once more, deciding to cut off the conversation even if it meant to admit his defeat. House gave him a satisfied smirk but said nothing else until they reached the patient’s room. Harry seemed to have awakened and Steven was talking to him. Once there the older man entered the room shoving his cane on the glass in the process and making the two occupants jump in surprised.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen! Are you enjoying the comforts of our resort?” He asked in an amused tone. “But you still haven’t met our best hostess, the real ray of sunshine in this dull place! If you asked me, I’ll find it hard to choose between her lovely twins and her charming…”

“House…” Wilson interrupted before some obscenity could leave his best friend’s mouth. “You don’t want Cuddy to double your Clinic hours, trust me.” Then he turned to the two men. “Sorry for the show. He is always like that.”

“Oh, you’re cruel, Jimmy. You know I can be much worse!” House complained snorting. “You pretty killjoy, always spoiling my fun.” He approached the bed and started checking the monitors. “So, down to business. I guess your friend, Idiot Number Two here, has told you about that bad habit of your, the one concerning the fact you stop breathing while you’re sleeping. But don’t worry, boy, we’ll treat you and you’ll kiss your bad migraines goodbye. That’s a pity that your ability to walk could choose to depart with them…”

“ _House_!” Wilson almost yelled, exasperated. Then he coughed embarrassed. “Forgive him, he can’t be tactful. We’ve tried to teach him to behave but he is a lost cause.”

“Don’t worry, Dr Wilson. I’m not letting a comment like that upsetting me,” Harry said, glaring at the diagnostician. “And if it happens, well, I’ll still be able to punch him. My arms are fine.”

“Oh, a brawl between cripples. It’s a dream coming true!” House mocked again replacing the IV bag. “But I’m punching you back, don’t forget that.”

“Steven, did you ask for me?” The oncologist questioned trying to change the subject. “Allison told me you were looking for me.”

“Yeah, I needed to talk you about something. But it’s not urgent, I can wait if you’re busy,” Steven answered, shooting a worried look to his best friend and House.

Wilson understood straight away the meaning of the glance. “You could come to my office later if you want. Don’t worry about it,” he smiled reassuringly.

“Oh, sorry if I prove you wrong, Jimmy, but you’ll not be in your office,” House interjected. “You have to drive me home. Since the patient is stable and we have to wait for the tests results I can go home and leave the rest to my ducklings. Besides, I can’t think if Cuddy sends me in the Clinic. Too many idiots around, you know. So, if you want to talk to Idiot Number Two you have to do it now.” He pointed Allen. “And don’t worry, Harvey and I are not going to fight, Uncle James.”

“It’s _Harry_!” His patient corrected almost growling. Then he looked back to Wilson. “Don’t worry, Doc. We’ll be fine if you and Steven leave us for some minutes.”

Mitchell and the oncologist exchanged glances and then the second nodded. “All right. We’ll be back soon. Greg, _behave_.”

House gave him an anything-but-innocent smile, but kept his tongue in check. When his best friend used his first name it meant he was being deadly serious and it was unwise to challenge his patience. Even James Wilson could be dangerous when he tried hard. He watched the other two leaving the room before turning to his patient once again.

“So, _Herman_! Since my best friend is busy with yours, why don’t we pass the time trying to figure out which is the best way to annoy you?” He asked grabbing a chair. “Wilson will be back soon, so let’s not waste this chance!”

“Why the surnames?” Allen asked, ignoring the provocation. “And it’s _Harry_ , not H-whatever. Well, for you it’s Mr Allen actually.”

“Surnames?  Sorry, I don’t follow, _Hardy_. Weren’t we talking about upsetting you?”

The patient rolled his eyes. “You and Dr Wilson. He is your best friend, isn’t he? Why don’t you call him James?”

“Oh, Wilson has a name? I didn’t know!” House feigned surprise. “So, you don’t want to play “annoy the patient”? Too bad. Let’s talk about your family then. If you have a genetic disease you must have inherited it. Any case of disable people in your family? My ducklings haven’t given me your family anamnesis, so I guess I must fill their gaps.”

“You are avoiding the subject. My question is: why?”

“And you haven’t answered _my_ question.”

“I’ll answer yours if you answer mine.”

“I didn’t know we have chosen another game. You should have warned me, I would have told you I’m no longer in the mood,” House said, sarcasm never leaving his voice. “I thought you were more interested in trying to understand what is threatening to _kill_ you. But maybe I was wrong and you want to die. I can’t blame you, but this is not stopping me from solving your puzzle. I’ll send you Cameron for the anamnesis, she’s far more willing to play your games.”

“You keep ignoring the question. Well, _that’s_ interesting. Are the surnames a way to put distances between you and him?” Harry insisted stubbornly. “And, just for the record, I don’t want to die. I’m intrigued by puzzles as much as you are.”

The diagnostician rolled his eyes. Why had all the patients to turn into psychologists every time he went to speak with them? It was one of the things that annoyed him most. “You want to know why I don’t answer to your idiotic question, Mr. Snoop? I don’t like people who poke in my personal life. Or, to say it better, I don’t like people at all.”

“And you are a doctor.”

“Yeah. Life is odd.”

The room grew quiet for some minutes. House kept staring at the void between him and the bed, lost in deep thoughts, while Harry’s attention focused on the two figures that were discussing outside the room. He could see his best friend grow more and more uncomfortable and Wilson rubbing his neck embarrassed, a light blush on his cheek. Steven met his gaze for a brief moment, something very similar to guilt in his eyes. He wondered what they were talking about. Then he turned back to his doctor.

“My parents died when I was fourteen in a car accident. My mother was thirty-three, my father thirty-five. They were both fine. I have neither uncles nor aunts. Both of them were only children,” he began with a sigh. “I’ve never met my maternal grandfather, he left my grandma when she was pregnant and never came back. My grandma died of cancer about ten years later. After her death, my mother was brought up by my father’s parents who were her father’s distant relatives. They are the ones who cared for me after the accident. They are living in Arizona now.”

“What a family drama! Now I can see why you are such a loser, _Henry,_ ” House mocked, shooting him an amused glance. “My minions will thank you for making their work easier!”

“I’ve answered your question, now it’s your turn,” the patient demanded ignoring his provocation. “And I’ll remember that comment about my family. Another reason to punch you hard.”

“You’re a real pain in the ass, you know? I told you I wasn’t playing. If you thought that you could force me to, well, you were wrong. Besides, your _tragic_ family history is not helping my diagnosis,” he stated, addressing the last phrase more to himself than to the other. “They all died or left too soon. And they likely are all immune carriers. It was a waste of time.”

“But I thought you were here to waste some time while waiting for Dr Wilson,” Allen stated.

“Yeah, that’s true,” the diagnostician mumbled absently. “But I hoped it would have been much more interesting. Instead I got nothing out of it.”

“It would be more interesting if you answer my question.”

“Are you still there? Quit it, idiot. You’re annoying. And I’m trying to have an epiphany,” House growled. “Shut the hell up or I’ll sedate you. It’s already difficult enough without my catalysts.”

“Is Wilson one of them?”

“I warned you!” The diagnostician stood up and reached for a drawer taking a syringe out of it. “Wilson won’t be happy about this, but I can’t care less!” He injected Allen the sedative before the other could do anything to stop it and then waited for it to take effect. “When you wake up you’ll have another good reason to punch me, _Harmon_. You should be glad.” And with that he headed towards the exit to get his best friend.

 

“So, Steven, what did you want to talk me about?” Wilson asked once they were in the corridor. “We have told you everything about Harry’s conditions. We aren’t still sure of what he has, but we are running some tests that…”

“It’s not about Harry’s conditions, actually,” Steven interjected. “It’s still about him, but it doesn’t concern his health. It’s a personal matter. I was talking with Dr Cameron earlier and she figured out something about me…She gave me a good advice but I wanted to know your opinion too before deciding what to do, Doc.”

“All right. Ask me what you need. I’ll try to help you as much as I can, Steven,” he smiled trying to be encouragingly.

“Well, this is it. I’m hiding something from Harry. I know I shouldn’t, he is my best friend and all, but I’m afraid of losing him” the man explained, his voice filled with uncertainty. “If you were hiding something from Dr House because you are afraid to ruin your friendship, would you tell him if it was becoming too much for you to keep quiet? Would you tell him if there was a little chance it wouldn’t destroy your relationship?”

“Well, the answer is not easy. It depends on what I am hiding. You see, House usually figures out by his own most of the things I try to keep from him, no matter how much I try to stop him,” the oncologist answered with a little smile. “You’re the most important person in Harry’s life, he cares a lot for you, more than he cares for himself, and so you do. I’m sure that whatever you could be hiding from him can’t break your friendship. So you’ll do no harm if you tell him. And if you don’t he surely will understand that you’re doing it for his sake. May I ask what is going on between Harry and you?”

“I guess there’s no harm if I tell you,” Mitchell muttered, uncomfortable. “You see, Doc…I’m…I’m in love with my best friend.”

Wilson stared at him for some moments, caught off guard. He was expecting everything but not that. “Oh” was the only thing he managed to say in the end. He slowly fixed his coat, a little embarrassed. “That could be a problem,” he forced himself to say. “But I’m still convinced of what I told you. It won’t destroy your bond with Harry. It could make things awkward at the beginning but he will eventually accept it. What did Cameron say?”

“She told me I should tell Harry how I feel about him. She thinks Harry may love me back.” Steven sighed, passing a hand through is hair. “What would you do if you were me? Would you tell Dr House what you feel?”

James kept quiet for a minute, thinking hard. “No, _I_ would never. Even if I have inkling he feels the same way. It would mean losing him for sure. House doesn’t like people who get too close to him. He can’t stand them, he always chases them away. He hates showing his weaknesses and his problems, and if a person was really close to him they could see them clearly. I’m surprised that at times he lets me and few other people know when he is really down,” he answered sincerely. “But _you_ should give it a try. Harry is not House. You’re too important for him, he would never shove you away. Besides, Cameron is one of the most emphatic people I have ever met. If she says that Harry may love you back then it must be true.”

Mitchell nodded. “You’re right, Doc, maybe I should. The problem has never bothered me, I was happy with what we have. But when he started to get ill things have changed. I can’t stand to see him coughing, lying in a hospital bed, slowly becoming unable to walk, getting out of breath so easily. I’m afraid I’ll…lose him. He could die and I’ll never be able to tell me what I feel.” Tears filled his eyes and his head began to spin, but he ignored them. “What if Dr Cameron is right and I’ll waste the better chance of my life? What if…What if you can’t find out in time what is… _killing_ him and he dies before I can tell him? But…What if she’s wrong? What if I tell him and he…” He couldn’t finish the sentence because the dizziness became too strong and his legs gave out.

Wilson saw the signs in time and caught him before he fell on the floor. “Steven! Are you alright?” He asked worried. “What are you feeling?”

“What…Where…?” The man stuttered slowly, looking around for a moment and tightening his grip on the doctor’s arms. “Oh…It’s…I’m just feeling dizzy. I’m tired. It has been a hard month.” He looked up and found himself staring into distressed chocolate-brown eyes.

The oncologist shifted uneasily. They were too close. He had a strange feeling about what was going to happen. “You should rest,” he said softly, hiding his turmoil. “Maybe we should run some tests for you too. You could be sick as well.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right,” Steven nodded and he release him a bit, starting to move away, but never breaking the eye contact. “I’ll ask Dr Cameron if she has a minute for me.”

James hadn’t the time to understand what was happening. He was helping Mitchell to stand and then, somehow, he had the man’s lips pressed against his in a chaste kiss. He froze, completely shocked, with no idea of what he should do. His body moved on his own free will and he found himself kissing back lightly, eyes closed and hands on Steven’s shoulders.

They broke away after a brief time. Wilson’s face was bright red with embarrassment and he suddenly seemed to find himself caught by a truly interesting spot on the floor. Mitchell didn’t know where he should look, feeling both guilty and incredulous, and his eyes kept wandering everywhere, avoiding the doctor.

“Uh, I…I am sorry, Doc, I don’t know what came into me! I didn’t mean to…I didn’t want it to happen,” Steven said after a pause. He shot a look through the glass and catch Harry’s questioning eyes. He hadn’t seen them kissing. He felt a wave of relieve invading him. He coughed a bit, returning his gaze in front of him. “I beg your pardon. I don’t know what I happened to me. I’m feeling confused.”

“Don’t worry, Steven…It’s OK. I’m…I’m not angry. Just…It was unexpected.” The oncologist rubbed his neck, still blushing. “Uh, you should really go to the Clinic. I think you have a fever. You…Your _skin_ is quite hot.”

“This…What happened…stays between us, right? It was…I don’t know what it was but it shouldn’t have happened.”

“Of course. I’ll tell nobody. Unless it turns out to be a symptom. It could mean you were in a confused state.” James forced a little smile. “But don’t worry, it means I would have to tell House, not Harry. Oh God, he would never cease to tease me!”

Mitchell allowed himself to laugh a bit and the tension began to melt. “Yeah, I can imagine that. You could always help Harry punch him!” He joked. Then he lowered his eyes. “Thanks, Doc. You are the best. I’m glad we have met you.”

“I’m only trying to do my job at the best possible way.”

The sound of the doors opening made them turn around. House got out and approached them. Wilson couldn’t stop himself from turning pink and cursed mentally, hoping his best friend wouldn’t notice.

“Time to go home, Jimmy! If we stay any longer Cerberus will start looking for us,” the diagnostician announced, ignoring Steven. “We need to break free!”

“Cuddy wouldn’t be happy if she knows you’ve compared her with a giant triple-headed dog,” the oncologist pointed out with a chuckle. “How is Harry? You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“Oh, he is sleeping like a baby. I sedated him!”

James stared at his friend incredulous. “You did what?! _House_! I told you to behave!” He exclaimed. “What the hell do you have in your crazy mind? If Cuddy finds out…”

“But she won’t if everybody stays quiet. He was annoying me. He’s not going to take me to court.”

“He was…Ah, why am I even discussing this with you?” Wilson turned to Mitchell. “I’m sorry. He is absurd. Harry will just sleep for a while. He isn’t hurt.”

“It’s alright, Doc. Don’t worry. It was a stupid prank,” the other man replied. “But, Dr House, Harry won’t take you to court, but I think he’d tell this to your boss. He is quite vindictive, I’m sorry to inform you.”

“Great! It’s another reason to go home right now. We still need to get our things,” House stated walking away along the corridor. “Move, Wilson!”

The oncologist excused himself and ran behind him, right in time to get into the elevator. “We are getting in troubles this time, you know?”

“Ah, stop worrying and relax! We’ll think about that tomorrow. Now I only want to take a shower and watch some crappy TV programme with my best friend,” he said stirring a bit. “I mean, I take the shower by _myself_ and then watch the TV with _you._ ”

“I know what you meant. There was no need to specify.”

“I know. But as I told you, it’s a lot of fun making you blush. And, for my pleasure, you’re doing it quite a lot today, Jimmy.”

Wilson rolled his eyes and shot him a deadly look, refraining from answering. The last thing he needed was giving him another chance to tease him.


	6. Troublesome feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, guys!
> 
> I'm back with the new chapter! Sorry if I kept you waiting, I came back yesterday from my trip!
> 
> Wilson has to deal with the consequences of his unusual discussion with Harry, and House's behaviour doesn't help at all! Our Boy Wonder is acting weirder and weirder and so the diagnostician is forced to ask somebody to help him figure out what going on...And Sophia is back for this and for the next chapters! The chapter contains some canon Chase x Cameron!
> 
> To everybody who follow the story, thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> *Disclaimer*: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> *Note*: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), don't like, /don't read please/!

**Chapter 6 – _Troublesome feelings_**

Wilson was standing in front of the door of his best friend’s apartment, unable to force himself to knock. He had slept at his place last night because he and House had another fight. Well, not a real fight actually. The diagnostician had kept teasing him since they had got back from the hospital, nothing so unusual. But, for some reason, he had freaked out. Maybe because he was tired, maybe because he had too many thoughts in his head. He didn’t know. He had just stood up and started yelling something about the fact that there were times when people needed their _supposed_ to be friends to support them or, if they couldn’t get to do that, just to “shut the fuck up”. House had tried to reply but he hadn’t given him the time to speak. He had grabbed his coat and bag and had left.

The oncologist sighed. Maybe it was his fault if the diagnostician wasn’t answering his pager. Cameron had phoned him half an hour ago because his friend didn’t pick up the phone either. She told him that Steven had fainted and they had hospitalised him as one of House’s patients on Cuddy’s order. He had to push their personal problem aside for the patient’s sake. Moreover, it could be the chance for him to say he was sorry for his behaviour.

He finally knocked. He heard some noises and then the front door opened. James took a deep breath but, before he could say a word, he realized that the person in front of him wasn’t House. _She_ was wearing one of the diagnostician’s shirts, and apparently nothing else, and was staring at him with lively green eyes.

“Good morning, James!” Sophia exclaimed happily, giving him a quick hug and then moving aside to let him in. “You’re here because Greg didn’t answer to his pager and phone, aren’t you? I tried to convince him to pick up but he went on pretending he was sleeping. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t answer for him.”

“I don’t need to ask you why you are here, do I?” The oncologist said trying to keep his voice calm and ignoring what she had just said. He cleared his throat awkwardly, forcing himself to keep his eyes on the intensivist’s face and not to glance at the half open shirt. “I already know, I guess. It’s a quite simple puzzle.”

“Yeah. He called me because he needed some… _company_. He said you two had a fight.” She looked a bit uncomfortable. “Are you mad?”

“It’s OK, Sophia. You’re both fully grown up. Now, where is he? I need to take him to the hospital. His patients need him.”

“In the bedroom. Uh…I’ll be in the kitchen. Do you want some coffee?”

“Yes, thanks. We’ll join you in few minutes.”

Wilson watched her walking through the kitchen door and then headed towards the bedroom, biting back a sigh. ‘Great,’ he thought tiredly. ‘Now ignoring our contrasts is going to be impossible, at least for me. I’m sure House has no problem with it.’ He shook his head, chasing the last thought away. ‘Calm down, James, or the mess will just grow bigger. Try to act normally and bring him to the hospital. This is what you are here for.’

House was still lying on his stomach among the sheets, eyes closed and deep breathing. The oncologist studied his friend’s form and shook his head. He wasn’t going to play his games, not that time. He took another breath and approached the bed.

“House, I know you’re not sleeping, so quit it,” he called calmly, crossing his arms. “They need you at the hospital. The polysomnogram showed that Harry is suffering from sleep apnea. And now also Steven is ill. Cuddy wants you and your team to take his case. Cameron, Chase and Foreman have run some preliminary tests, but they can’t figure out what’s wrong with him. You have two patients now.”

The diagnostician groaned, rolling on his back to look at him. “He fainted, there’s nothing interesting in that. I’m _not_ treating him. He is just stressed,” he snorted and sank his face in the pillow once again. “Let me sleep! It’s only…half past _six_!”

“It’s a quarter to seven actually.” James tore the blankets away from the older man, mentally thanking the fact he was at least wearing his boxers. “Get. Up!”

“You’ll pay for this.” House shot him a deadly glare. Then an amused look appeared on his face. “Oh, you’ve _already_ paid for that, haven’t you? I made you upset. Again. You didn’t like the fact I’ve actually slept with that cute friend of yours. But you’re not so surprised because you knew I would have if I got the chance. And you may also think I’ve done that to mess up with you. But I’d like to remind you I wasn’t the one who left his best friend alone after yelling at him for no real reason. It’s your fault, you started it! I was _hurt_ and I thought I could look for some company. Moreover, she left her number on my desk yesterday. Why shouldn’t I have used it?”

“I…I’m not _upset,_ ” the oncologist stuttered avoiding his gaze and turning around. “Get dressed. Sophia made some coffee. And be quick, we’re already late.”

The older man watched his friend leaving the room, a pensive expression on his face. Wilson had lied, it was evident he was pissed off, but there was something else. He had been acting strange since after his conversation with Mitchell. Something must have happened while they were talking. Now he only needed to discover what without making the oncologist freaking out again. It wouldn’t be fun at all.

 

“House! Why didn’t you answer your phone? We were worried. And Cuddy is furious,” Cameron greeted his boss as he entered the conference room. “I had to call Wilson.”

“I was sleeping, you know. That’s what people do in the morning. I had an interesting night,” he mocked shooting a glance to his best friend who pretended not to notice. “I guess you called me because Idiot Number Two turned out to be an _ill_ idiot like his friend.”

“Exactly. He has high fever, low blood pressure and he keeps on fainting,” Foreman listed, ignoring his comments. “We think it’s an infection, but we don’t know which one.”

“Or it could…how is it called?…Oh, yeah, _stress_. And a normal, _boring_ cold,” House stated wryly. “Now, let’s get back to serious things. What are you going to do to make up for forcing me out of my bed with no real reason?”

“And a cold can put the patient in a confused state?” Wilson interjected, trying to keep his voice emotionless. “Yesterday when I was talking with him, Steven started feeling dizzy and it took him a moment to remember where he was. I told him to go to the Clinic and get some tests done.”

“And you say he was in a confused state because he told you that? How could he know he was confused if he was confused?” The diagnostician looked at him sceptical. Then a sparkle lit his eyes up. “Or are you hiding something?”

“He almost fainted and it took him a moment to recognise where he was,” the oncologist retorted, avoiding his gaze. “ _I_ told him he could be in a confused state, not vice versa.”

The older man opened his mouth to point out the fact his friend had avoided his last question, but before he could say a word the door opened and Sophia entered in a hurry, her coat all creased and a pair of latex gloves sticking out of the pocket.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t know you were in a meeting. I have an emergency arriving in four minutes, so I’m in a rush,” she said quickly and pulled out a mobile phone, throwing it at House. “Greg, you left this at home. I thought you might need it. And, James, please, can we talk when I’m done? It’s quite important.”

“OK. Page me when you’re finished. I’ll reach you as soon as possible,” James nodded briefly.

“Thanks! See you later then! I must go. Again, sorry for the interruption!” And she ran out of the room before someone could do anything.

“ _Greg_?” Chase repeated looking at his boss, amused. “Wasn’t she Sophia Ure from the E.R.?”

“Yeah. Wilson’s little friend, and a magnificent forbidden fruit which was only waiting to be tasted,” he confirmed gaining a horrified look from Wilson and Cameron. “And it seems she is also well trained. Have you something to do with it, Jimmy?”

“House, can we talk about the patients?” His best friend pleaded, exasperated.

“Have you slept with her?” The blond asked almost at the same time.

Everybody fixed their gaze on the diagnostician who seemed unaffected by having the whole room looking at him. “Let me think…Ah, yeah, none of your business, my dear kangaroos’ lover!” He spat out tuning around and grabbing a marker. “Now, since I’m in a good mood, I’ve decided I’ll make Wilson happy and talk about the _patients._ ” He drew a vertical line, dividing the board in two halves. “Who tells me Idiot Number One’s symptoms before Cuddy arrives and scolds me for ignoring her needy calls?”

“Fever, migraines, progressive muscular weakness, sleep apnea, high level of CK, deficit of the respiratory system,” Foreman listed, fighting back an exasperated sigh. He had kept quiet for all the time of the previous conversation, shooting annoyed glances towards the others. He didn’t care who House was sleeping with or why Wilson was so uncomfortable. They had time to investigate later, at the moment their priority should have been the case. “We have ruled out Becker’s dystrophy, polymyositis and SMA.”

“Good. Well, it’s just a way of saying…What the lumbar puncture and the new blood tests showed?” House asked writing the information down and facing his assistants who glared at each other. “You haven’t done them. Wait, didn’t I say you had to do them and a biopsy if the other tests were negative?”

“We have been busy with Steven. And we had to run some other exams for Harry as well,” Cameron tried to excuse. “We had to make sure that Steven hadn’t passed Harry whatever he has. We can’t risk another infection with his respiratory problems.”

The diagnostician shot her a nasty glare. “Nice excuse. Somebody tells me Idiot Number Two’s symptoms and then run and bring me a drink with his CSF and blood and a piece of muscle.”

“High fever, low blood pressure, often fainting, confused mental state,” Wilson recited, crossing his arms. “Do you still think it’s just stress and a cold?”

“Yeah, but, as I said, I feel like making you happy. You could deceive yourself and think I’m feeling guilty if you like,” his best friend stated with a sarcastic tone. “Now. Our lovely selfless flower and the Australian blondie can do the biopsy and the blood tests…But, please, no sex meanwhile, especially involving the aid of the syringe. We need it to be sterile or it could alter the tests.”

The immunologist opened her mouth to retort, but closed it almost immediately and blushed, not knowing what to say, while Chase simply looked elsewhere and cleared his throat.

“Our little blacky can instead look for all the genetic diseases that could imply high levels of CK,” he continued, smirking at the reaction he got. “Jimmy and I will check the so-called “confused mental state” of Idiot Number Two.” He looked around impatiently but nobody moved. “Come on! Hurry up! Or are we waiting for the patient to _die_?”

The team members finally rushed out of the room, leaving the two head physicians behind. Wilson turned towards his best friend who was busy with his pills and shook his head.

“What about _my_ patients?” He asked calmly.

“You don’t have any appointments before ten. I checked your agenda last night while you were in the bathroom. Before you ran away, obviously. And besides your patients can wait, nobody is going to die without notice,” House pointed out. “Let’s go. I can hear Cuddy’s heels approaching from the floor above.”

“You checked my…Ah, forget it!” The oncologist sighed, rubbing his neck as he followed the other out of the room. He kept quiet for a moment and then sighed. “Speaking of last night…I shouldn’t have yelled at you like I did. And I shouldn’t have fled either. I was upset and I took it out on you. I’m…I’m sorry, House.”

“If you’re trying to make me say I’m sorry for sleeping with your cute friend, you better give up,” the diagnostician warned, poking his arm with his cane. “But, even if you were, it’s OK. No need to say sorry. But if you really feel like shit, you should at least tell your poor crippled friend why you freaked out with him.”

“Don’t play with me, I’m not telling you anything. Now my conscience is clear,” he talked back resisting the urge to give the other doctor a shove. “Why must you always try to manipulate people’s feelings? Can’t you just accept my apologies? I don’t expect you to say sorry, but I’d be glad if you at least try not to make me more upset than I am right now.”

“Do you want me to lie? OK, I can do that,” House exclaimed. Then went on, in a very fake apologetic tone: “Oh, I’m _so_ sorry for hurting you! I was a real _idiot_ and now I’m regretting one of the _best_ fuck I had recently! I’ve been such an insensitive friend because I have decided to accept the invitation of a beautiful and so damned skilled woman! I can’t believe she made me come so hard after I had let you…”

Wilson waved a hand to shut him up. He didn’t need to hear any of that. “OK, OK, you won! Quit it. Listen, I’m not mad because you actually slept with her. Well, maybe a bit, but this isn’t the point. I’m upset because…”

He stopped finding himself speechless for a moment. Why was he so upset? He had felt really confused after the accident with Steven and House’s incessant jokes about him flirting with the man had only made his distressed feelings worse. He desperately needed some time to think about what was happening in his mind and so he had yelled at his friend, out of patience. A night of fitful sleep had helped a little, or at least that was what he had thought before finding Sophia at the diagnostician’s place. As soon as he had met the intensivist’s eyes the turmoil had come back with a strong taste of disappointment. But he wasn’t sure of the meaning of his states of mind.

Wilson blinked quickly, realizing that he had House’s expectant glare on him, and fought to find a decent excuse for his mood swings. “I’m upset because you have been tactless,” he resumed trying to sound convincing. “I spent all night feeling guilty because I had been too harsh with you and it turned out that you had just put the matter aside and enjoyed yourself.”

“Oh, so were you expecting me to spend the whole night awake wondering why you have freaked out like an idiot? I think you’re confusing me for someone who is not… _me_.”

“That’s not what I meant. I…I thought you’d be a little bit worried about me since I had been acting weird. That’s what two people do when they are friends.” Bitterness filled James’ tone. “But, of course, may it never happen that the great Gregory House worries about such trivial matters as his _supposed to be_ best friend.”

“You are doing it again. Freaking out with no reason,” the older man pointed out as they reached the door of his Mitchell’s room. He stopped and sought the other’s eyes. “It’s becoming a habit. But I’m sure that there’s something up behind this. Or did I get it wrong?”

“It’s entirely your fault!” The younger protested, shooting him an annoyed but uncomfortable glare before driving his eyes away once again. “Stop messing me up!”

“You wish I was,” House mocked harshly. “You’d better figured out where the problem is before it affected you too much. I don’t need a mentally unbalanced best friend. _I’m_ the freak between the two of us. I want my Wilson back.” And he entered the room without waiting for an answer.

The oncologist stood motionless for some seconds, caught off guard by the possible implications of what the other doctor had just said. Had his friend just implicitly admitted that he somehow needed him? He felt something similar to relief blooming in his chest, but at the same he felt a bit of anxiety spoiling the warm feeling. Was he as messed up about them as the diagnostician had described him? He bit his bottom lip lightly and stared at the opened door of the room. He had no time to think right now. Damned House, he always found the worst moment to bring up that kind of things.

Shaking his head and sighing for the umpteenth time, he quickly crossed the doorstep and joined the other doctor, hoping that House would behave and wouldn’t ask about the events of the day before. It was going to be a long day.

 

“The fluid is clean, nothing in the central nervous system,” Cameron announced, looking up from her microscope. “The fever is caused by something else. What about the blood tests?”

“He seems to have light flu, but nothing dangerous. I bet it’s liked to exhaustion. The antibiotics should cure it. We need that biopsy. Who has the honour?” Chase half joked, approaching her. “That guy seems to like you, so you should do the exam.”

“Oh, thanks. Off-loading the entire job on me. You’re such a gentleman,” she said faking offence and biting back a smile. “Why don’t you assist me? What exciting things are waiting for you while I’m busy with muscular tissues?” She stepped forward sensually.

“Well, I wanted to go and help Foreman with that list of diseases. It would be quicker that way,” he answered approaching in turn. They were few inches apart. “But I have to admit that I’m really tempted to leave Foreman at his work right now.”

Cameron ran a finger on the blond chest. “If you help me we could be quicker and we could find a nice way to use the remaining time.”

Chase gulped quietly. “I thought we said no sex at work,” he tried to point out, his voice clearly unsure. Both of them knew he was just trying to keep the facade on and that he eventually would give up. “But I’m not sure I can say no, can I?”

“Oh no, you mustn’t. And, after all, where is the problem? This time there’ll be no patient who needs to be checked next door,” she insisted softly. “And we are doing our work as the first thing. But after that, instead of taking a cup of coffee, we would use our break for more interesting activities. What do you think?”

The blond kept quiet for a moment. “House will know. He gets to know everything,” he stated with a face. Then he smiled. “But I guess it would be no harm since he can’t prove it. Deal.”

The immunologist smiled brightly in turn. “I know you would agree.” She stepped away. “Let’s do the biopsy then. I’m looking forward for the results.”

Chase shook his head a bit. He couldn’t help. When Cameron asked him for that kind of things he couldn’t say no. It was stronger than him. The implications of his behaviour were starting to make him worried. He had to try hard and stuck with their agreement. It was a physical relationship, no emotional involvement. But he was no longer sure he would be able to do that. He chased the thought away. For the moment he was still ok with it, so there was no need to deal with the problem. He would do it when the issue would become unavoidable.

He made to follow Cameron out of the room but their pagers suddenly started to bip. They looked at the messaged and then stared at each other.

“It’s Steve. He has convulsions,” the young woman said quickly. “The biopsy has to wait.”

“And our little plan as well,” the blond added. “House wasn’t right. It’s not just stress and a cold. We have two cases for real now. I’m not sure if I must be excited or worried…”

“House would be delighted. He has two games now! We better go and check Steve.”

They rushed out of the laboratory towards their second patient’s room.

 

“Convulsions,” House mumbled, turning the marker among his fingers. “Ok, maybe I was wrong saying that that idiot is just stressed.” He turned towards his assistants. “Now, what did the tests showed? Idiot Number One’s, I mean.”

“Weren’t we discussing Steven’s case?” Cameron protested. “And where is Wilson?”

“We _were_. Past tense. Wilson has his own patient. It’s not cancer for now, so we don’t need him,” her boss answered. “Now, the tests results. Oh, and, Foreman, how is your little research going?”

“The puncture was negative. He has a flu, the antibiotics are already curing it. We hadn’t the time to do the biopsy because Steven had his crisis,” Chase answered. “The tests we had run when he fainted the first time showed no evident traces of toxins in his blood.”

“I’m not finished. I’ve found some diagnosis that could fit, but the criteria are too general. I’m reading diseases starting with F.”

The diagnostician smirked hearing the last answer. “Poor you! But I guess you are used to the hard, unfair work considering what your forefathers used to do,” he mocked. He pulled out his Vicodin bottle and took two pills out. “Cameron, do that damn biopsy. Then I want you to do an EEG and an IPS. Chase, Foreman, you are checking the house. Usual procedure,” he ordered then. “Look for toxins, sources of infection, and for medical documents. I’m sure that those two are hiding something from us. When you come back, Chase can go and help his fuck-buddy, while Foreman can go back to his research.”

“Why shouldn’t they? They came here with fake guns to be treated,” the immunologist pointed out. “It’s a non-sense.”

“Everybody lies. And I think they are hiding something because they made us think they would never. There must be a secret, there is always one.” House stared at the void for a moment. “Speaking of secrets, go and do what you are paid for. I need to fix another matter meanwhile.”

Chase and Foreman took off their coat and grabbed their bags before exiting the room, while Cameron approached the chair were her boss was sat. He stared at her.

“I thought I gave you a lot of work to do,” he said raising an eyebrow. “Why are you still here? Do you feel the need to give me a lesson about trust and all the other shit maybe? Not interested, sorry. If you’re not going you give me sexual favours in return I have no reason to listen to your moralistic crap. If you _do_ give, I could pretend I’m listening.”

“House…I’m telling you as a friend,” she started ignoring the mocking. “Don’t mess up with Wilson’s feeling again. The fake tumour was bad enough. Leave him alone. You need him and you know it.” Without waiting for an answer, she turned on her heels and left.

House stayed still for a whole minute. He had to admit that Cameron was smart, sometimes a little too much. And she always knew how to be annoying. But she wasn’t completely wrong. He grabbed his cane and limped out of the conference room in turn to take the elevator. Cuddy should have been in her office right now.


	7. Reasons and doubts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!
> 
> Sorry, I'm once again a bit late with the update, but I promise that next chapter will come before the end of this week!
> 
> House is still determined to find out what's going on with Wilson and decided to ask Cuddy to help him with the issue. She agrees to talk to the oncologist, but only to be sure that he is OK. But Wilson's conversation with the Dean brings him to a unexpected conclusion, together with a brief conversation he has with Sophia right before. How is he going to deal with his new doubt?
> 
> Thanks to everybody for reading! Please let me know what you think about the chapter!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> *Disclaimer*: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> *Note*: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), don't like, don't read please!

**Chapter 7 – _Reasons and doubts_**

Cuddy was busy reading some files about the latest donation she had managed to get for the hospital. It had taken her a month and five boring dinners with the donor to get that money and she was quite proud of herself. Even if she hadn’t appreciated at all the advances she had had to bear. She signed the papers and put them aside, grabbing another folder. Now it was the time to find a solution for that problem in radiology. However, before she could open the envelope the door of her office shot opened without warning and a too familiar pace hit the floor.

“House, I’m busy. If you’re here to annoy me, go away or I’ll double your Clinic hours. If you want to subject one of your patients to an illegal and dangerous treatment, the answer is no,” she stated without lifting her eyes from the documents. “I have no time for your games right now. Go back to play with your puzzles.”

“Wilson is acting weird since yesterday,” House claimed sitting on a chair in front of her. “I want to know why.”

Cuddy shot him a glance, putting down the sheets. “Maybe he’s just stressed. He has just lost another patient and one of his kids is not doing well. Leave him alone. Or maybe he’s still upset because of your last awful joke. He was the one who felt more betrayed that time. And nobody can blame him. He thought his best friend was going to die of brain cancer,” she said a bit harshly. “He acted normal with me when he came in my office half an hour ago. So it must have something to do with you.”

“He has forgiven me like everybody else, I’m quite sure. Maybe the atmosphere between us is still a little tensed but we are OK,” he reassured sounding confident. “Or, at least, we were before he talked to that idiot.”

“Which idiot? You are surrounded by them if we listen to you.”

“My second patient. He wanted to talk with Wilson yesterday. He must have told or done something to him because when we got home he was quite in a fool mood.” House’s face turned deadly serious. “Jimmy _yelled_ at me for no reason last night. And then he _left_ without giving me the time to say anything.”

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess. You got bored while waiting for the tests results and decided to come here and trying to make me worried about Wilson,” she snorted shaking her head. “Sorry, I’m not buying it. He is fine and you have Clinic duty. Now get out.”

“But…Our sweet Wilson _yelling_! How can you not be at least a little distressed? He _never_ yells, not even at me,” the diagnostician insisted. “Something _is_ wrong. You can’t deny it.”

The Dean of Medicine kept quiet for a moment. She knew she was probably playing into the hands of her employee but she couldn’t deny that the image of Wilson freaking out wasn’t something she had seen often. Especially if there was no apparent reason. There was always the chance that House was lying about the oncologist’s motives, but she couldn’t afford to have the two head physicians starting some kind of stupid war. Because she was sure that the diagnostician wouldn’t have given up until he got to know what was going on. Besides, Wilson was a good friend of her and she had the right to worry about his mental health.

“I know you’re playing with me, so let’s be frank. Everything I do is for Wilson’s good, not for you,” she surrounded at the end. “What do you want me to do?”

“Talk with him. You are quite good at that, aren’t you? You know which buttons are to be pushed. Besides Wilson usually trusts you and tells you things,” the older man said, satisfied. “I’ll hide in the bathroom and listen.”

“No way I let you eavesdrop! I’ll listen to what he has to say and _then_ I’ll decide _if_ I can tell you or not,” She opposed firmly. “I’m doing it for Wilson, I told you already. If I can fix the problem without needing your intrusion, I’m not letting you know what’s going on. No discussion on this point.”

“That’s not fair! He is _my_ best friend. I have the right to know what’s wrong with him.”

“No, you don’t. You lost that right years ago. And, if you really acted as his best friend, you would be investigating because you are worried about him and not to satisfy your curiosity. Now get out. I’m calling him in and I don’t want him to find you here or he won’t say a thing even to me.” Cuddy pointed the door. “Quick, House. You have patients waiting for you.”

“It’s not over!” He warned her shooting her a nasty look, but got up and exited.

The woman sighed tiredly and grabbed the phone. It hadn’t been that hard after all. And she didn’t know if she had to worry about that. She had the feeling that House would find a way to interfere. He always did after all. He only had to hope that his intrusion wouldn’t make things more complicated.

“Sylvia? May I ask you a favour?” She spoke in the receiver. “Can you tell Dr Wilson to come to my office as soon as it is possible? I need to talk with him. It’s important but not urgent, so if he has work I can wait. Yeah, sure. Thanks.”

She put the phone down and turned her attention back to the report. It had better not to be anything really serious and especially not House-related or the diagnostician would have found himself drowned by Clinic hours for the rest of his life.

 

A gentle knock made Wilson distract his attention from the paperwork he was doing. He looked at the clock a little surprised. His next patient wasn’t arriving before an hour and he was sure he wasn’t waiting anybody else. “Come in,” he said.

Sophia’s head appeared from behind the door. “James? Are you busy?” She asked shyly. “I asked if we could talk earlier this morning, do you remember? Is it a good moment now?”

The oncologist sighed putting is pen down but nodded, gesturing her to enter. He had been tempted for a moment to tell her he had no time but he knew that postponing the problem wasn’t a solution. He watched his friend sitting in a chair in front of him and playing quietly with her hair. “So, Sophia. How did your emergency go?”

“Quite well. I spent four hours in the operating theatre, but we managed to save the patients,” the intensivist answered forcing a smile. “It was a really bad accident. One of the cars had fallen in a river. It’s a miracle that nobody had died!”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he offered politely. “Come on, talk. I’m listening.”

She cleared her throat. “First of all, I’m sorry. I’ve been a jerk. I should have warned you before doing anything with Gre…House. He is your best friend and you two had a fight. I’ve been selfish. He caught my interest since the first glance and I jumped on the first occasion I got with him. I should have thought about the consequences for you,” she told in a low voice. “But I want you to know that I didn’t go to his place and just had sex with him. He called me saying you had freaked out and he needed to understand why. He was convinced I knew the reason even if I tried to convince him I had no idea.” She shrugged. “I went there and we talked. Not about you actually, just about everything and nothing. Gregory is one of the most charming men I’ve ever met. Even if I think he acted like I was one of his call girls. But I don’t want to bore you with the full account of our encounter. We ended up in bed and after the act he suddenly said something about your fighting. Just a sort of curse. I took the chance and got him to explain me what had happened. He had been really reluctant, but luckily you men are always more tractable after sex.” She ignored the vexed face that Wilson made at her last sentence. “He told me about it and your conversation with his patient’s best friend. I listen to him and then I tried to make him talked about you in general terms.”

“Why would you do such a thing? Did you succeed?” James asked sceptical and a bit confused. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know where Sophia was trying to arrive.

“You know why, don’t play dumb with me, James Wilson,” she warned crossing her arm shooting him the same glance she had gave him the day before when she had met House. “Anyway, yes, I made him talk about you. I had to force him step by step but I gather some nice information about the history of your relationship. He told me the most embarrassing things about you obviously, but I also got some serious comments hither and yon.”

“I find it difficult to believe you,” the oncologist commented raising an eyebrow. Then he sighed again. “Listen, Sophia. I’m not mad at you. I’m glad you have come and apologised. I was quite shocked when I found you at House’s, and quite upset too, but I’m fine with it. I’m glad to know he was somehow moved by our fight even if not as much as I was. Thanks for coming to talk to me.”

“But…Don’t you want to know what Gregory told me?” She asked a bit surprised. “It’s…”

“I don’t want to know. Firstly, because I know what you were looking for and your point of view is not objective. Secondly, because you can never know when House is sincere and when he is lying,” he interrupted. “Quit it. There’s no need to talk about it. And I’m sure it is nothing that I don’t already know. And if it is, I don’t want to know.”

Before the young woman could protest the office phone started to ring. Wilson picked up and spent a minute talking to the receiver before hanging up again.

“I have to go, Cuddy wants to see me,” he explained turning his attention back to his friend. “What about having dinner together tonight? At seven?”

“Sounds good. Do you mind if I may bring a date? I promise I’ll be good and I won’t talk about Greg,” she gave up standing.

“A female date, I guess. Yeah, I don’t mind.”

“Thanks! And, James…Let me just tell you a thing. He cares a lot about you, even if he always acts as he doesn’t. He may lie to you, put you in trouble, steal your money and food, hurt you. But he _really_ cares.”

Wilson fixed his brown eyes in her green ones. “I know,” he simply said, knowing she wasn’t finished. “I’m his best and only friend.”

“Yeah. And I’m starting to understand why you love him so much in spite of everything.” She reached the door and gave him a knowing smile. “Don’t make the great boss angry! See you tonight. Usual place. Bye, James!”

Wilson watched her leaving before getting up in turn. The simplicity of her last statement had surprised him. He was expecting something more provocative or cryptic, but she had just pointed out a fact even if her smiled had made him consider carefully her words for a moment. He decided that it was better not to investigate further and left his office wondering instead why Cuddy wanted to see him again. He smelt a rat.

 

Wilson found the Dean of Medicine sat at her desk, completely absorbed in her documents. He knocked lightly on the open glass door to gain her attention and stepped inside.

“Did you want to see me, Lisa?” He asked politely.

“Oh, James. Please, close the door and sit down,” she exclaimed, pointing the chair in front of her. She waited for him to comply and then resumed the talking. “It’s not about work. It’s personal. I want to talk you as a friend right now.”

“Uh, OK?” He said giving her a questioning and confused look.

“James, are you OK?” She asked softly. “I’ve noticed you have been acting a little weird this morning. You look distracted, distant. Is there something bothering you? Is it a bad period with you patients?”

“Not more than the usual. I’ve lost a patient two days ago and it caught me off guard, but I’m fine now. It’s nothing I can’t manage,” he answered, trying to read her expression. She didn’t seem so worried when they had met only half an hour before. “I’m my usual self, Lisa.”

“Are you sure? Isn’t there something you want to tell me?” She pressed. “I can help if something happened. Even if it’s a personal matter and it don’t concern the hospital.”

Realisation hit him at her last words. “House came and told you about our fight,” he stated with a sigh. “He’s only playing with you. I apologised to him, Lisa. We are OK, we’re not fighting anymore. He teased me a time too much yesterday and I got annoyed. That’s it. It’s our routine. He just wants attention.”

“I know he’s just playing his little games. I told him I wasn’t going to help him,” she nodded calmly. “This isn’t about House. I called you because I’m concerned about _you_. It’s not in your normal routine to freak out, James, not even with your crazy best friend.”

The oncologist started to feel uneasy. “I had a long day. I worked with House’s team yesterday. I was tired. Something unexpected happened and it had unsettled me more than it should have. That’s it. I’m fine now.”

Cuddy’s gaze was intensely fixed on him. “Is this “something” concerning House?”

“No. Yes. Ugh…I don’t know actually,” he stuttered. “Not quite. But I’m starting to think it has since I had freaked out on him.”

“You aren’t going to tell me what had happened, are you?” The woman sighed.

James paused for a moment, considering how much he could confess. “If you promised you won’t get mad, I’ll tell you part of the story,” he said in the end. He waited for her to nod before resuming the talking. “I can’t tell you what happened yesterday at the hospital. It’s about House’s second patient and he made me swear I wouldn’t telling anyone. Anyway, this _thing_ had left me distressed as I told you. I went home with House to spend the night at his place and he kept on teasing me the whole time. After dinner, out of the blue, I couldn’t take it anymore and yelled at him to leave me alone. Then I actually left him. This morning I went to his apartment because he wasn’t answering his phone. I thought he might have overdosed again. Instead he was with…a woman.”

“Wait, _what_?” Cuddy almost shouted, shocked. “He ignored our calls because he was with a prostitute? He is getting hundreds of hours in the Clinic!”

“Lisa, you promised not to get angry. Please, let me finish,” Wilson reminded her, trying to calm her down. “He wasn’t with a prostitute, but with a friend of mine. I’m not telling you who she is, so don’t ask.”

“Don’t worry, I don’t want to know. Now I get why you are upset with him,” she snorted indignantly. “He was completely tactless! And he dares to wonder what’s wrong between you two…He is unbelievable.”

“I told him that. But he is obsessed with wanting to know why I freaked out.”

“So he wants to know that something you don’t want to tell.” The Dean of Medicine sighed, shaking her head and fixing a black lock. “He isn’t going to give up and you know that better than me. Can you manage to bear him until he finds something else to focus on?”

“I think I can,” the oncologist nodded. “He is just…House. Nothing really new.”

“Yeah, _just_ House,” she laughed. “You really must be either a saint or madly in love with him to tolerate all he puts you through.”

Wilson eyes widened at the joke. _I’m starting to understand why you love him so much in spite of everything_. Now he could see what Sophia had meant with her comment. He should have imagined that she wasn’t referring to friendship with the word “love”. But what was bothering him was that both the intensivist and Cuddy had said the same thing, even if using completely different tones. Whatever happened he was stuck by House’s side _willingly_. The man made him go crazy, hurt him, made him sad, upset, wanting to kill him and sometimes even himself. House was a mess, he brought misery wherever he went, pain to whoever he met. He tried to destroy everything that had a bright side because he was drowned in darkness.

However, at the same time, he was also the one who could always find the right even if harsh words to keep James from losing himself in desperation, the one who made him laugh, made him do things he had never imagine doing, made him break rules and boundaries, making him understand that they weren’t so important at times. House was the one who could show him how reality was without filters and the only one with who he could really be himself without feeling the need of putting on his everyday masks. And Wilson was fatally drawn towards him because he couldn’t live without that shiver, without the taste of forbidden. Sophia was right, his best friend was charming, in a dangerous but far too exciting and addictive way.

He had grown more and more protective towards House during the years they spent together and he had made a silent vow to stick at his side, no matter how many times he was hurt, chased away and betrayed. He had come to realise that their bond was the only true one he had ever managed to build, in spite of all his efforts. He was ready to give everything for that screwed up friendship that they had and he wasn’t letting go. Never ever. He needed that shiver as much as the diagnostician needed that stuttering stability the oncologist could offer him. Could it be that those feelings of closeness and intimacy had grown so much that they had gone beyond the limits of friendship? Could he have fallen for that egocentric but far too charming and brilliant bastard without noticing?

“James? Is something wrong?” Cuddy’s worried tone brought him back to reality. She surely had noticed the shocked expression that had appeared on his face as soon as the doubt had invaded his mind.

“N-No. I’m OK, Lisa,” he managed to say, desperately fighting to calm his inner turmoil. “I…I was just…thinking.” He forced a smile. “Well, if we’re done I’d rather to get back to my office. I have to see a patient.”

“Oh, sure!” She nodded smiling in turn. “If you need to talk you know where I am.”

“Thanks, Lisa. It means a lot to me.”

She patted his arm sympathetically and he turned to leave. But he had just put his hand on the doorknob when the door of the private bathroom shot opened and a voice exclaimed: “Wait! You had to make him confessed what had happened! He can’t leave like that!”

The other two watched House entering quickly in the room and pushing James away from the door. Cuddy’s face went red with indignation and incredulity while the oncologist felt himself start panicking. What the hell was the diagnostician doing there?!

“House!” The Dean of Medicine shouted. She couldn’t believe he had hidden in her bathroom for real. She had gone out only once and for few minutes to get some documents. She was furious. “How did you _dare_? I told you to leave him alone!”

“And I told you I wasn’t going to do that. I needed to know!” He talked back. “But you haven’t done what you were supposed to do!”

“I wanted to make sure he was fine, not to discover what he’s hiding! I’m not tactless and completely selfish unlike you!”

House growled at her and then turned towards Wilson who was standing motionless next to him. “Come on, spit it out, Jimmy! What has happened between you and that idiot?”

The other man stared at him looking lost. He could feel those piercing blue eyes fixed on him and he was afraid they could read what was going on inside his thoughts. “None…None of your business, House!” He managed to exclaim after a while, his voice almost shaking. He needed to get out from that room to clear his mind. And there was no way he could do that having House a hair’s breadth away from him.

“That’s not an answer, Wilson,” House pressed, studying his best friend curiously. Wilson was clearly avoiding his gaze, distressed, as if he was afraid he could notice something he didn’t want him to know. He had seen him so agitated only few times, but never as shocked as he was in that moment. “You can’t hide forever. I’ll find out eventually, so you’d better confess it!”

“I…” The oncologist started, looking for an escape. “I have to go!” And he pushed the older man, freeing the door and literally running away.

House and Cuddy got out of the office in turn and watched him bumping into a nurse who was carrying a pile of files that crashed on the floor. He didn’t stop to help her as he would usually do but just shout a quick “Sorry!” before throwing himself in the elevator and disappearing from the hall, leaving everybody completely astonished.

The Dean of Medicine turned towards the diagnostician, too dumbfounded to stay angry at him. “What the hell have you done to him?” She asked.

“I don’t know, but I enjoyed it,” he smirked amused. What an interesting reaction. Now he was even more determined to discover what had happened to the oncologist.

The woman understood immediately what he was thinking and gave him a little shove. “House. Clinic. _Now,_ ” she ordered pushing him towards the front desk. “You have a lot of hours to catch up! And don’t you dare to call Wilson for a consult.”

“But Mom!” He whined unhappily, but the grin didn’t leave his face. “I’ll be bored without my favourite playmate!”

“Well, you have to survive without him for now. Have fun!” She stated and gave him a folder. She turned towards the waiting patients. “Simon Tucker! Room five with Dr House.”

The diagnostician made an exasperated face as he saw a middle age man coming towards him. Considering the embarrassed expression on his face he clearly suffered from some rash that had appeared in some inconvenient place. He shot a deadly glare to Cuddy who ignored him and got back in her office, leaving him alone with the patient.

“Can we go, doctor?” The latter asked. “I think my problem is quite an urgent.”

“Oh, I’m looking forward to see the rash on your fat butt!” House mumbled aloud rolling his eyes.

“How do you know it’s a rash?! Can you see the future or something?” the man exclaimed surprised looking at him as if he was an alien. “But it’s not on my butt actually. And it’s not the only symptom I’m afraid. Can we go?”

“You are kidding, aren’t you? About the place where the rash is, I mean,” he sighed. The universe really hated him. “And, just for the record, all that paranormal stuff you are used to see in your dear science-fiction movies doesn’t exist in our reality. No people with strange powers or aliens here. Just problems and science. Got it?”

The poor man could do nothing but nodding. He was already starting to wonder if coming to the hospital had been a good idea.

House caught his expression and gave him an obviously fake smile. “Don’t worry, not all the doctors are like me. You have just been enough unlucky and have found the bastard one in a bad mood,” he mocked sarcastically. “Try again. Maybe next time you’ll get the gentle and caring one.” He pushed the man inside the room. “Let’s make this quick. I have to take care of more interesting things!”


	8. Case Closed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks!
> 
> I'm a bit late again, forgive me. My studies are keeping me very busy! And unfortunately for next part you'll have to wait at least two weeks, because I'm going on holiday and I won't have internet with me! I hope you don't mind too much!
> 
> So, in this chapter we have the solution of House's two cases...or at least so it appears. But Cameron is not so convinced! There are quite a lot of medical details in this chapter and it is mostly about the diagnosis. I promised that in next one we will have some more characters' action!
> 
> Please let me know your opinion about the story!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> *Disclaimer*: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> *Note*: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), don't like, don't read /please/!

**Chapter 8 – _Case Closed?_**

Chase wondered around in the kitchen, checking the cupboard for something out of place. The apartment seemed to be really clean, considering the fact that two men lived there. They had for sure somebody who kept it tidy up for them. There was no trace of mildew or other source of toxins. Foreman had found a bottle of insecticide in the bathroom, but nothing else. He couldn’t stop himself from scoffing at the thought they had spent almost an hour driving to get there just to find out that there was nothing interesting.

“House won’t be happy to know we haven’t found anything relevant,” he commented loudly enough to be heard from the floor above. “He’ll make us check their work place as well!”

“I’m not doing that. I still have that stupid research to do,” Foreman’s voice growled from upstairs. “He’s in a fool mood and he took it off on me. I’m tired of his games. If he has a problem with Wilson why do I have to get stuck in the crossfire?”

“Because House loves screwing with us, especially when he can’t get to his real target. But you _like_ working with him anyway, don’t you?” The blond jokingly stated as he joined his colleague in the bedroom. He took his time to look around. “Wow. These two guys live as they were still in college! Same bedroom with two beds, one desk for both, papers everywhere, posters and a stock of alcohol. I bet they have drugs and porn as well.”

“No porn, sorry. But I found some marijuana in the linen closet. We must check it once back at the hospital. You never know what could have been used to treat it,” the neurologist said handing him a little plastic bag. There was a hint of disapproval in his voice. “They are full grown men with a stable job and act like they were college students.”

“Oh, come on, Foreman! Don’t be such a moralist now! The man we work for his much worse than them! You should be used to this kind of things. With your past, moreover. And, besides, we act childish as well sometimes.”

“Sometimes, not _every day_. And if you are referring to the hospital polls and to our usual bets, I join them only for the money, not because I enjoy that kind of things. And, for the record, I disapprove House’s behaviour’s as well. But he is a genius in his job and working for him helps me to become a better doctor.”

“You are no fun.” Chase put the drug away and approached the other bed. “Have you checked under this one?”

“Not yet,” the answer was. “I was going to, but I can leave you the honour.”

The blond nodded and got on the floor. “Let’s see what they are hiding here!” He mumbled. There was nothing on the floor but he spotted a tile that was slightly more sticking out than the others. He reached for it and with some efforts removed it. There was a hole under it and inside he found a wooden box. “Foreman,” he called taking it out and sitting on the bed.

The two doctors exchanged glances after looking at the contents. The box was full of prescriptions and drugs bottles.

“This wasn’t written in the case history,” the neurologist commented. “Mitchell was hiding it from us. But I can’t see the reason of doing it.”

“He is epileptic. This explains the convulsion. We must phone Cameron and alert her before she does the EEG.”

“Phone her. I’ll take care of the drugs. I can’t believe it. House was right once again. They are hiding something. Or at least one of them is.”

Chased shrugged and left the room, mobile phone in hand, while Foreman stared at the pills for some more moments. This would surely help their diagnosis. And it would make their boss have another not really nice talk with their second patient. The diagnostician was going to press him until he got to know why Mitchell had been hiding his illness. And he had the feelings that things would mess up even more as soon as he would do that.

 

Cameron walked quickly along the corridor, heading towards her boss office. Luckily, she had received Chase’s phone call just before starting the tests on Steven. She absolutely needed to report the discovery to House. She had tried to ask her patient why he hadn’t say anything about his illness when they had hospitalised him, but he had just turned his gaze on the floor, embarrassed but firm, and had kept quiet. She sighed. The diagnostician was surely going to gloat endlessly about being right once again about the fact that “everybody lies”.

She knocked briefly on the glass door before stepping in. “I’ve got some news for you,” she announced calmly.

House was sat at his desk, busy with tossing his ball in the air. His eyes that were looking distant when she entered immediately focused on the woman as she made her statement. “It took you quite a small time to run the tests. Unless you haven’t done them because you have discovered something that makes them useless,” he commented, letting the ball fall on the floor. “Give me the new data, my tender-hearted queen!”

“I’ve done the biopsy. Here the result,” the immunologist said ignoring the mocking and handing him some papers. “I’ve found vacuoles among the muscle cells and I’ve examined the contents. Harry has a genetic glycogen storage disease.”

“Not interesting as I thought. I hope it’s a rare one,” the older man commented. “There are eleven type of glycogen storage disease. Considering his symptoms, he has either Pompe’s disease or Cori’s. I bet on the first one. Run a test to estimate the enzymes activity so we will see who the winner is. You should know which ones you have to check. If you don’t, make your lovely colleagues to help you.”

“I’ll run the tests. But I’m not finished with the news,” she said. “Chase and Foreman are still out. They called me from the patients’ apartment. They have found a box full of bottle of Valproate hidden under his bed.”

“Tonic-clonic crisis? Wow! I was really wrong. He isn’t affected by stress and a cold, but by stress and _epilepsy_!” House exclaimed with an exaggerated tone. “So _boring_. He has already the drugs and that means he knows what he has. So there’s no case! I’m done. Run the test for Idiot Number One, explain him how the treatment works and give him to the specialists. Then give Idiot Number Two his medicine, tell him he is a complete imbecile since he didn’t take his drugs because he was afraid that his friends found out he is epileptic and then discharge him. I have to hide from Cuddy or she’ll send me in the Clinic again. That rash on the pelvic region was enough for today! Wait for the other two ducklings to come back and then you are all free to do what you want.” With that he got up and started gathering his things.

“But shouldn’t we make sure that Steven is fine before discharging him?” Cameron tried shyly. “Why wouldn’t he take his drugs knowing that…?”

“Because he is an idiot! And you are as well if you keep on defending him,” the diagnostician cut her off grabbing his bag and limping out of the room. “Go and do your job!”

Cameron shook her head and followed him outside only to see the older man pulling out a key from his pocket and opening the door of Wilson’s office.

“What?” He asked as she kept staring at him with wide eyes. “I _borrowed_ it! But don’t tell Wilson, he doesn’t know. If I shut myself in here Cuddy won’t find me. If she asked, I’ve gone home.”

The immunologist rolled her eyes and walked away, mumbling something about patients waiting for her and he crept inside office, locking the door behind him and closing the blinds. Now that he has no cases he could finally focus on his best friend’s odd behaviour. And, while waiting for an oblivious Wilson to join him, he had the chance to make up for lost sleep.

 

Foreman, Chase and Cameron stood in front of Harry’s bed waiting politely for him to finish his meal. The man shot them a questioning glance as he put down the fork, not knowing if the fact that almost all his doctors where there was or not a bad sign.

“Mr. Allen, we have your final diagnosis,” the neurologist began in the end. “The biopsy showed vacuoles of glycogen in your muscle cells. We have run other analyses and the results shows that you are affected by Pompe’s disease, a rare genetic metabolic disorder. It’s caused by an accumulation of glycogen due to the deficiency of an enzyme.”

“It’s a degenerative disease. Since you have the late onset form it will progress slower than the classical form. The prognosis includes possible chest infections, hypotonia, progressive muscle weakness, delayed motor milestones, maybe difficulty in swallowing or chewing and reduced vital capacity,” Chase explained. “It doesn’t sound very reassuring, but we can keep it under control. Besides it is very unlikely for you to incur in cardiac involvement, especially in the first stages.”

“It can’t be cured. I’m so sorry. But there are some drugs that can help you. It’s called Myozime and is an enzyme replacement treatment,” Cameron added sympathetically. “Moreover, doing regular exercise, physiotherapy and a diet rich in proteins together with the drugs can help your body to eliminate the glycogen and can allow you to live an almost normal life.”

Allen kept quiet for a while, assimilating the information. The three doctors exchanged glances for some minutes, then Foreman and Chase excused themselves and exited, leaving the immunologist to deal with the patient. She approached the bed and sat down on the nearest chair grabbing the man’s hand gently.

“I know it sounds scary. It’s not going to be easy but you’ll _live_ , Harry,” she said softly smiling reassuringly at him. “There are new projects and researches, they are testing new drugs. You could apply for one of the studies and see if it can help you. Psychological support may help too. You can deal with it, I’m sure. You are strong enough. Besides, I’m sure that Steven will help you as much as you need.”

“Thanks, Allison. I’m glad you have been sincere with me about the prognosis. I would lie if I say I’m OK with it, but I think I can find a way to deal with it,” he nodded slowly, smiling back a bit sadly. “Speaking of Steven…Does he know about my diagnosis? And how is he?”

The young woman bit her lip nervously. “No, he doesn’t know. I thought it was better if you tell him yourself,” she answered trying to keep her voice still. “He is fine, we are still running tests, but we are sure it’s nothing serious.” She couldn’t tell him the truth, especially since she didn’t know the whole story behind Steven’s decision to lie to them. She didn’t want to cause trouble between the two men. Their situation was already delicate enough. “You can’t see him now, he is doing an exam. But I promise I’ll bring him here as soon as he is free to come.”

“OK, I’ll wait. Let me know if you find out something new about him. I’m looking forward to speaking to him. I miss him.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll see each other soon. I’ll leave you alone now, so you can have some time by yourself. Try to relax and get some sleep. You look tired. If you need anything just tell one of the nurse to call me and I’ll come, OK?”

“Thanks a lot, Allison. You’re too kind. Go, if you need to. I know doctors are always busy.”

She smiled again and waved him goodbye. She knew that Foreman and Chase were waiting for her to join them in Steven’s room. She had convinced them to run some other tests just to make sure that all his symptoms were related to his epilepsy. House could call her an idiot, but something was telling her that there was something else behind the case. Tonic-clonic epilepsy didn’t cause confused mental state without a crisis. And when he was with Wilson Steven hadn’t an epileptic attack, the oncologist would have surely noticed. It was worth the time to do some exams. Their boss was busy with God-only-knew what so nobody would have stopped them. And, if they found something, the diagnostician would have to take the case back. She smiled a bit. Proving House wrong wasn’t easy, but it was always more than satisfactory when they made it.

 

Wilson unlocked the door of his office, carrying the files of his most recent patients. He had spent almost three hours in Paediatric Oncologist with his kids and it had helped him to alleviate his inner turmoil. He was now feeling calmer and ready to finish his paperwork before meeting Sophia for dinner. He had decided that he should ask for her help to figure out what he was really experiencing. There were no concrete sentiments that he could examine because all he felt when he thought about House was a wave of confusion and fear. He didn’t know if it was due to the fact that his mind couldn’t accept his being in love with his _male_ best friend or if it was his reaction to a stupid and false doubt. Unfortunately, he was more inclined to think that the first option was the more plausible one. He hoped that the intensivist could give him an advice to help him understand how he could work out his real feelings. She had already gone through that kind of situation before him after all.

He sighed and set the folders down on his desk, noticing that the room was rather dark. He didn’t remember closing the blinds now that he thought about it. He had a bad feeling. He turned towards the couch, rolling his eyes, and found a too familiar form asleep on it. House was stretched on his back, one arm under his head and the other across his stomach. His breath was deep and steady. James couldn’t help smiling softly noticing how relaxed the diagnostician looked in that moment. Lost in a soft oblivion, he seemed unaffected by all the problems that tormented him while awake.

The oncologist approached his sleeping friend silently, not to disturb him, and knelt down besides the sofa, resting his arms on the pillows and his chin on them, curiously studying House’s messed hair. He wondered if should leave the other sleep or wake him up in a rude manner for stealing his spare key. He really deserved some sort of payback prank. But at the same time Wilson felt a pang of guilt at the thought of forcing his friend back in the world of sorrow where he had to live. He didn’t want to compel him to face the endless pain that never left him, even in his sleep. He could clearly see the hand on the diagnostician’s stomach sliding instinctively lower, towards his injured tight. In that moment he could _almost_ understand why the older man had faked cancer to get the heroin. Almost.

He lost himself so deep in thoughts that he didn’t notice that House was starting to wake up. The older man moved his head aside and James suddenly found himself staring in those magnetic cerulean-blue eyes.

“What the hell, Wilson! Were you thinking about kissing me by chance?” The diagnostician joked with a smirk. “Isn’t it a little too bold even for you? You could at least ask me out before trying that kind of things.”

Wilson blushed hard at the mockery and quickly moved away. “Give me my spare key back,” he demanded, hoping to drop the subject. “I’d ask how you got it but I know it would be useless, wouldn’t it?”

“A magician never reveals his tricks, Boy Wonder!” The other claimed solemnly sitting up and extracting the key from the pocket of his jeans. “This is interesting, by the way.”

“This what?” James dared to ask, knowing that he would regret it.

“Your behaviour. You literally ran away from me only few hours ago and now you are kneeling at my feet,” House said, his tone still amused. “If you want to convince me that everything is fine, you should really try harder.”

“Shut up,” the oncologist mumbled annoyed and got up. “What are you doing here anyway? No, don’t tell me. You must be avoiding your Clinic duty. Well, I have to work if you don’t mind. I’m not throwing you out, but you have to be quiet.”

“You’re getting better with your deductions, Jimmy boy. I’m proud of you,” the diagnostician commented. “I was sleeping and I wouldn’t mind getting back at that. Just keep your door close and we both will be happy.”

“What about Steven and Harry? Have you already solved their cases?”

“Oh, those idiots. Number One has Pompe’s disease, the biopsy showed it and Cameron ran the tests for the enzyme activity as a confirmation. The other one is epileptic but he had apparently forgotten to tell us. Chase and Foreman found his drugs at their home.”

“Pompe’s disease? How can you say it so lightly? It’s a serious illness!”

“Oh, don’t start it, Wilson. He’ll live. And I’m done with the puzzle. That’s it.”

“You’ll never change,” James sighed and shook his head, mentally taking note to visit Harry later. “And why did Steven lie about his epilepsy in your wicked opinion?”

“Why must you be so biased about me?” House whined pouting. “It’s simple. That idiot didn’t want his friend to worry about him and so he hid his illness.”

“I know what you think about human relationships. That’s it,” Wilson stated sitting down next to his best friend. “That’s quite unlikely, anyway. Harry and Steven had known each other almost for a lifetime, Harry would have noticed if Steven was epileptic. Come on, if one of us had that problem the other would find out for sure.”

“Epilepsy can start during adulthood too, you should know that. Maybe the crises have started recently,” the older man pointed out. “And I’m just realistic about human relationships.”

“You are not realistic. You are a fatalistic _pessimist_. Only because you can’t build a decent bond with someone it doesn’t mean that nobody can.” The younger crossed his arms, stubbornly. “It still made no sense to me. Steven hates lying to Harry. He’d never lie to him about something so important. They live together, sleep in the same room, share everything. Unless…Unless his problems have started after Harry’s symptoms. Steven wanted to focus on Harry’s state and so he hid his own.”

“Nice guess. Can you let me sleep now that you have defended the honesty of their friendship? There’s nothing interesting in already diagnosed epilepsy. And your speech about ideals and bonds is even more boring. The matter is closed. The two idiots will be discharged soon and my team will find me another case tomorrow. You can keep your over optimistic view of reality, but leave me in my fatalistic one.”

“You are so generous,” Wilson said sarcastically, getting up. “I’m moved.”

“Yeah, yeah. Didn’t you have paperwork to do?” House complained, swallowing a couple of Vicodin and lying down again. “And lock that damn door.”

The other did as he was told. “Now, who is the one who needs his beauty sleep?” He laughed reaching for his chair. Then, after a moment of silence, he said a little bit uncertain: “Another thing, then I’m leaving you alone. Tonight I’m having dinner with Sophia. Do you want to join us? She is probably bringing one of her girls so I thought it would be less embarrassing if I bring someone with me in turn.”

“Are you asking me out?” House raised an eyebrow faking shock. “Oh my god! You really wanted to kiss me while I was sleeping. You pervert!”

“ _House_! It’s…It’s not that kind of date,” Wilson exclaimed embarrassed and too much aware of the fact he was blushing once again. Damn him. “It’s just a dinner. I’m bringing you as my best _friend_! That’s all. Stop that! You coming or not?”

“Oh, calm down, Wilson! I’m joking. Did I hit a nerve by chance? Don’t tell me you are still all messed up because I was teasing about flirting with Idiot Number Two,” the diagnostician asked amused. “Anyway, I’m not losing the chance to see some hot lesbian action, especially if the actresses are both sexy as your little friend. So, count on me!”

“I’m not messed up and I wasn’t flirting with Steven. It’s _you_ who is so often flirting with me,” James spat out exasperated, realizing too late what he had just said. He hoped that House just ignored his comment or he would have been in troubles. “Go back to sleep. I’m wasting my time discussing with your stubborn head!”

“You hurt me, Jimmy! I thought you enjoyed my lovely attentions,” the diagnostician whined showing an offended expression. “You cheater!”

“What are you? Five?” The younger doctor sighed shaking his head. “Leave me alone, House. And no, I don’t enjoy being verbally and sexually _harassed_ by my best friend. Sorry, I thought you already knew that!”

“So have you misled me for all these years? How cruel! I thought better of you, Wilson. I’m going to shock Cuddy with my hurt tears now. And it’s your entire fault. Poor her! She’ll get a heart attack! And Cameron will cry her too emphatic self to sleep as well for weeks.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m dying of guilt. But at least I know that there are two people ready to comfort you. Weren’t you eager to go back to sleep? I’ll wake you up when it’s time to leave.”

“You killjoy. I was enjoying myself so much teasing you…OK, I’m leaving you alone as Cuddy said, but don’t try anything funny while I’m sleeping or I’ll report you.”

Wilson shook his head and avoided to answer. The last thing he wanted was to give House new chances to tease him. Especially since the older man could be right about his being attracted to him. He glanced at the diagnostician who was still staring at him with a strange blank expression that made him anxious. He heard him mumbling something that sounded like “It will be a lot of fun tonight” and then he saw him closing his eyes and starting to doze again. Maybe he had made a mistake by inviting House to that dinner. Sophia would have surely joined the teasing. He thought that he had better to inform her about his recent doubts before their meeting, at least to avoid too unpleasant situations.

He grabbed his mobile, feeling like a high school girl texting her best friend out of desperation, and keyed in. ‘ _Sophia? Can we discuss something?’_

The answered arrived almost immediately. Sophia had to be on her break. ‘ _Why r u texting me? U NEVER text! Anyway, u need me to come there?’_

He sighed. Why couldn’t she avoid useless comments? ‘ _No. Can’t talk right now. It’s about tonight. House is coming too’._

_‘OK, no prob. And…?’_

_‘Something happened today while I was in Cuddy’s office. I’ll explain later. The fact is…’_. He hesitated, not knowing how to put it. He didn’t want her to make comments like “Better late than never” or “I told you!” or “Getting finally out of the closet? I was waiting for you!”. He needed to make her understand how delicate the situation was. ‘ _…I think I might have feelings for him’._ Not too specific and quite neutral. And he added: ‘ _Don’t tease’._

Two whole minutes passed before he got an answer. ‘ _Got it. No worries, we’ll work it out, trust me! See u tonight!’._

Wilson stared at the phone screen until it shut down. He didn’t exactly know what those words meant but he had the feeling that his friend had somehow already understood the whole situation. He put down the mobile and stole a glance at the sleeping diagnostician. The only thing he could do now was waiting to see what was going to happen.


	9. Nothing to be said

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, guys!
> 
> I'm finally back! Sorry if it took me so long, but I've been busy with exams and I almost forgot about the update! Next chapter is almost ready so I'll surely post it soon!
> 
> So, in the last chapter everything seemed to go well with the patients, but Cameron's instinct is proved right and one of the cases is everything but solved! Besides here we have the "double date"...What's going to happen? Sophia is back!
> 
> Thanks a lot to all the readers! Please let me know what you think about the story! Reviews are really welcomed and keep me going on!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> Note: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), don't like, don't read please!

**Chapter 9 – _Nothing to be said_**

The night was chilly but inside the pub the air was pleasantly warm. The music was a nice background for the costumers’ chit chat and the young waiters moved among the tables, stopping to exchange some words with their clients from time to time. The atmosphere was relaxed and the light smell of good food made it even more enjoyable.

Wilson looked around for a moment, before returning his attention to his companions. They were done eating and now they were talking while waiting for their drinks to arrive. He liked that place because it was extremely casual and sometimes it felt good to wear jeans, sweatshirt and sneakers instead of his usual formal clothes. He was sat next to House, who was dressed as always, while the two girls were in front of them. Sophia, in her shorts, sleeveless T-shirt and high boots, was all smiles and jokes, but she occasionally shot him reassuring glances to make sure he was feeling comfortable. The intensivist had hugged him tighter than usual when the two men had arrived at the pub and had whispered “We’ll talk later, relax” in his ear. Her date, Adrianne from Cardiology or something like that, was on the other hand quite shy and talked lesser. She was really cute in her short yellow dress and sandals and normally he would have already been flirting with her, but that evening he had two good reasons not to do so: the fact she was there with his _female_ friend and, especially, House. He shook his head lightly, chasing the thought away.

“So, James,” Sophia said with a worrisome smile. “I heard about your little show in the Clinic. You knocked that poor nurse on the floor! What got into you?”

“Yeah, I’d like to know as well. You’re never rude to beautiful women,” House interjected, getting suddenly interested in the conversation. “And she was a nice sample.”

Wilson shot both his friends a deadly look. “I was in a hurry,” he mumbled. “And I bought her a coffee later to apologise.”

“Let’s say you were running away from me,” the diagnostician corrected staring intensively at him. “But the interesting part is not what you were doing, but _why_.”

He felt a faint blush covering his cheek but decided to ignore it. “You were trying to force me to break a promise and I know too well how much manipulative you can be,” he lied sounding convinced. “I wasn’t ready to face you, so I thought that staying away from you was the better option at the moment.”

“And now are you ready to face me?”

“Yes. And this means I won’t tell you anything.”

“Too bad. We’ll see. I’m making you spit it out in the end. I need to know why my best friend has suddenly become moodier than a girl in her period.”

“You are a diagnostician, aren’t you? _Diagnose_ him!” Sophia proposed now openly smirking. “Adrianne and I could play as your team.”

“Yeah, it could be fun!” Adrianne agreed enthusiastic. “I’ve heard a lot about your abilities, Dr House! I’d really like to see how you work.”

“I think I like this game,” the older man commented shooting an amused look to James. “Let’s give it a try!”

“Nobody cares about the patient’s opinion?” The latter asked, annoyed. Why was Sophia playing along with House? Wasn’t she supposed to _help_ him? “I don’t want to be diagnosed. I prefer to keep my illness and die.”

“Don’t worry, Wilson, I’m sure it’s not terminal,” the diagnostician joked stopping a waitress. “Can we have a marker? And the white-board you used to note the pool points.”

“Umm, sure,” she answered and returned moments later with what he had asked together with their drinks.

“So, white male in his late thirties, an excellent oncologist and an even more skilled playboy,” he started making his best friends roll his eyes. “He shows evident mood swings, unconventional behaviours, a curious tendency to blush quite often, and a stubborn insistence to hide things to his best friend. We know he has spoken with an idiot yesterday and the symptoms had started after that discussion. But he is adamant and states that he can’t reveal what they have talked about. I’d ask for further anamnesis, but our patient isn’t compliant and we haven’t the truth serum within arm’s reach. Differential diagnoses?”

“I would say he is embarrassed by what he is hiding,” Adrianne offered thoughtful. “Maybe he’s even lying about the promise. No offence, Dr Wilson.”

“Yeah. Or maybe he has actually made a promise, but that isn’t the true reason behind his stubbornness,” Sophia hypothesised. “There something more.”

“I can’t believe you are doing this for real,” Wilson sighed exasperated but the other just ignored him. He shook his head helplessly and took a sip of his drink, resigning himself to wait for the conclusion of that farce.

“I like Miss Quickie’s idea. There’s more than a simple talk and a stupid promise behind this,” House said looking at the list of “symptoms”. “It’s something far more complicated. What tests should we run to gather more information?”

“We could recreate the conditions in which the symptoms have showed,” the intensivist suggested. Her eyes searched for the oncologist’s obtaining a worried and upset look as an answered. “If we understand what causes them it would be easier for us to get near to the prime cause.”

“Why aren’t you in my team? If I fire one of my ducklings I’ll offer you a job,” House commented nodding in approval. “Now tell me where you would start.”

“The blush is the easiest one to cause. And the less dangerous,” Adrianne said happily. She was clearly enjoying herself, even if the oncologist could easily tell that she was thinking of it as a simple game, while both his friends were deadly serious about it behind their teasing ways. “We don’t want our patient to run away. Well, it’s up to you, doctor. He is your date after all.”

“I’m _not_ his date!” James protested loudly. The situation wasn’t promising anything good and he could tell that the worst hadn’t come yet.

“Oh, good job, canary,” the diagnostician smirked. “He is unmistakably red now.” He leaned against the wall to be able to look directly at the younger man. “Embarrassment, irritation, maybe a bit of humiliation too. Interesting. Either you are ashamed of going out with me or you have a problem with the word “date” and similar associated with _me_. And don’t say it’s because I’m implying that you are attracted to men. When I accused you of flirting with Idiot Number Two you blushed only when we were in front of the others, but not when we were alone. When I teased you about being flirty with me in your office instead you blushed even if we were alone. It’s clear that I’m a factor in all this issue.”

“I think that it’s clear that you are a bit too full of yourself instead,” the oncologist talked back, trying to stare right back at him. “I’m sorry to inform you but not everything in the world revolves around Gregory House and his intricate games.”

“I can live with that,” House snorted. “Now admit it!”

“Admit _what_? I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You know too well. It’s the other way around actually. _I_ don’t know what _you_ are hiding.”

Wilson turned towards Sophia, desperately looking for some help, but she shook her head lightly, her eyes saying “It’s for your good” and exclaimed: “Look, Adrianne! They have the karaoke! I _love_ singing. Do it with me?”

Adrianne was caught off guard by the sudden offer and could do nothing but let the other woman drag her away from the table towards the stage. The two men found themselves alone, but, while House seemed not to mind the fact at all, James was hopelessly looking for an escape. He couldn’t run away as he had done earlier that day because he would have confirmed his friend’s suspects. But he wasn’t sure he could bear that conversation either.

“So, _James_. It looks like we are finally getting some privacy,” the older man stated with a mocking tone leaning towards the other doctor. “Why don’t you tell your dear best friend Greg about your dirty little secret now?”

“It’s not…I…” The oncologist stuttered trying to find a plausible fake explanation. If that bastard had kept getting closer to him he would have lose the ability to talk. All he could focus on at the moment were the diagnostician’s eyes. He felt like he was going to drown in their depth while more warmth blossomed on his cheeks. ‘ _God_ , I want to kiss him’ was the only thought that crossed his mind, shocking him but also making him leaning closer in turn. He saw a spark of confusion lit up the other’s gaze, but he couldn’t find the strength to stop himself.

However, right when he was ready to give up and close his eyes, House’s phone started ringing, making them both jump. The diagnostician quickly moved away and answered.

“What do you want?” He barked annoyed. But his expression changed almost immediately. “What?…When?…Ah, damn!…Yeah, yeah, I know…I’m coming.”

“What happened?” James asked, trying to calm himself down.

“I was wrong. Idiot Number Two is not as idiotic as I thought he was. My team ran some tests and it resulted that he had taken his drugs while at the hospital. He had just hidden them in another bottle,” House answered standing up and grabbing his jacket. “This means he had a crisis even if he was under anticonvulsants. They decided to keep him under observation for the night. But he started vomiting blood. Cuddy wants me to go back at work immediately.”

“I’m coming with you!” The oncologist said getting up in turn.

His best friend stared at him for a moment as if he was trying to see through his skin than nodded. “You drive.”

 

Cameron and Cuddy greeted the two doctors when they arrived at Steven’s room fifteen minutes later. The first was wearing a worried expression while the second was clearly enraged.

“House! You are an irresponsible!” the Dean of Medicine scolded him angrily. “You know we have the duty to monitor the patients for some hours before discharging them, especially if they had had a crisis! Luckily your team is more responsible than you!”

“That’s why I hired them,” House answered untouched. “Besides, I was sure he was fine. He is epileptic, it’s normal for him to have crises.”

“Well, you were wrong. Now find out what’s wrong with him,” she stated crossing her arms. “And don’t try to leave the hospital again before diagnosing him. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, Mom,” he mumbled unhappily.

“Good. Ah, you owe me other ten hours in the Clinic for escaping it this afternoon. Wilson, you too. I’m sure you’ve hidden him in your office.”

“ _What_?! It’s not fair!” Both head physicians exclaimed.

“You heard me. You are both doing them, I don’t care whether you find it fair or not. Next time try to think about what you are doing before acting that careless,” she scolded, anger still present in her voice “I’m going home. You stay here and do your job. Goodnight.” And with that she walked away not caring to wait for an answer.

Wilson sighed resigned, while House turned to Cameron clearly upset. “Tell me what happened with that idiot,” he ordered curtly.

“We ran some tests to make sure that Steven was alright. At the beginning, everything seemed to be OK, so I brought Harry in Steven’s room. They talked about his diagnosis for a while,” she explained calmly. “Then, out of the blue, Steven started coughing and he threw up blood. Chase came in and helped me to take care of him and then announced that Steven had actually taken his drugs regularly. The blood tests show it. We deduced that the crisis was due to something else and looked for you. Cuddy came in and asked why we were discharging both patients and we had to tell her the truth about your conclusions. She got mad and ordered us to call you. Harry is still with Steven. He refused to go back to his room.”

“You idiots. When will you learn how to lie in a decent way?” The diagnostician complained, glancing through the glass. Steven was sat in his hospital bed and Harry was in a wheelchair next to it. They were both smiling while talking and the first was holding the second’s hand tightly. “I guess that now Idiot Number One knows about his friend’s secret.”

“Yes. He was there when Chase told me about the tests results,” the immunologist nodded. “Steven had explained that his crisis started about three months ago and he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want Harry to worry about it. He knew his friend was already stressed with his own health problems and didn’t want to make him more worried.”

“It seems that someone made a lucky guess!” He commented shooting a glance to the oncologist. “Where are your colleagues?”

“They are waiting in the conference room.”

“Good. Join them and wait for me. And above all, make coffee.”

House watched her walking away and then opened the room door to get inside, followed by his best friend. The two occupants turned immediately towards them and he shot them a nasty look while approaching the bed.

“You’d better not lie again or you could die next time. This one you have just ruined _my_ night,” he claimed hastily. “So if you have some other little secrets you better tell me now.”

“I’m sorry for lying to you, but I had good reasons to do it,” Steven talked back unimpressed by the other harshness. “I have nothing else to say.”

“Yeah, the reason is that you are a sentimental _imbecile_. But we’ll see. I don’t trust you.” The diagnostician fixed his eyes on Harry. “Aren’t you upset about your supposed to be best friend _lying_ to you?”

Wilson rolled his eyes at the question, knowing that it was an attempt to annoy him as well, while Allen shot the older man a glance and answered: “No, I’m not. Maybe it was a little reckless, but Steven made him for me and I appreciated it. He was trying to protect me. You know, Doc, unlike you, I can appreciate my friends’ sacrifices and care, especially if they come from Steven. Because I have no problems to admit that he is the most important person in my life.” He tightened his grip on Steven’s fingers as to underline his last statement. “I could never stand losing him.”

House stared at him for a second, his expression blank, while his eyes moved from his two patients to their joined hands, then to Wilson and finally back to his interlocutor. “Have I told you that you are an idiot?” He spat out, with his usual mocking tone, but there was also something else in his voice.

“Have I told you that you are an asshole?” On Harry’s face appeared a dangerous smile as he carefully stood up. “And, Dr House, since we are discussing the matter!” He quickly approached his speaker and without warning punched him right on the jaw.

House was caught unawares and stumbled backward. “You bastard!” He spat out almost amused as Wilson grabbed him before he could fall, staring with wide eyes at the aggressor.

“I warned you I would have done this,” Allen simply stated.

“Yeah, you’re right,” the diagnostician smirked freeing himself from his friend’s grip and punching the other back. “And I told you I would have returned the favour.”

Harry collapsed on his wheelchair and started laughing. “You’re not that bad after all, Doc,” he said massaging his injured cheekbone. “We are quits now. Thanks for finding out what is wrong with me.”

“Only because you have complimented me I won’t stop thinking you’re an idiot,” House warned, rubbing his fingers on his jaw. “And you have rather mean your thanks. Your case was simple and not interesting at all. Almost _boring_. I’m quite intrigued by your friend’s one instead.”

Allen’s face turned serious as he searched the doctor’s eyes. “Will you cure him?” He asked quietly. “I need him to be OK.”

“Of course. Don’t worry, the specialist is on the case,” he answered boldly. “Now I’ll leave you alone. Talking with patients is a real bore.”

“Thanks, Doc!” Steven shouted behind him as he exited, turning to smile brightly at his best friend. “We trust you!”

Wilson smiled them reassuringly in turn. “He is the best. If there is person who can find out what you have, then it’s him,” he stated, a proud note in his tone. “Besides, that was his way to say he cares about your health. Hold out, Steven. You’ll be fine.”

“Thanks once again, Doc. We are sure you and House will do your best.”

“Wilson, stop your crap and move your nice ass. I have a differential to do. No way I’m staying up the whole night!” His best friend’s annoyed voice called from outside.

James excused himself and joined the other doctor in the corridor. “You really know nothing about how to treat patients,” he commented shaking his head. “But I found really nice your reassurance. It was kind on your behalf.”

“I wasn’t reassuring them, just stating a fact,” House snorted shooting him a deadly glance. “And I haven’t been _kind_. It’s me, remember?”

“Instead you’ve been, I don’t care if you won’t admit it,” he insisted as they got into the elevator. “I’m proud of you!”

The diagnostician rolled his eyes. “I thought I told you to cut off your sappy crap. It makes me sick.” He lifted his backpack and pulled something out. “Let’s go back to the important things! Guess what I have here!”

“I can’t believe you stole that!” The oncologist exclaimed exasperated, passing a hand on his face at the sight of the pub white-board. “Why?”

“You are still one of my puzzle, you shouldn’t be so surprised, Jimmy,” the older man stated candidly. “And this way I’ll have something to do while my ducklings run the exams.”

“Cuddy is right, you’re unbelievable!”

They had reached their floor. The younger doctor kept glancing at the board, remembering what was going to happen before the phone rang. He had had his answer. He had at least a big crush on his best friend. He could no longer deny it or giving himself the benefit of doubt. Now he had to decide what he was going to do about his feelings. The more intelligent answer was that he was doing _nothing_ , obviously. If he wanted to keep their friendship safe he had to learn how to live with his unrequited love and acted as he had always done. Nothing was going to change, it couldn’t. He had better forget about his discovery or at least behave as if he had. It wasn’t going to be easy, quite the contrary actually, but he had to pretend that everything was alright. That bond meant too much to him, even if it cost him more sacrifices and hard work than anything else. It was worth it and he couldn’t afford to risk losing House for the sake of some sappy sentiments. He had to keep them for himself and be careful not to show them. He bit back a sigh. It was going to be quite an undertaking considering his best friend’s extraordinaire deduction skills. But he had to try and give his best anyway. He could be quite good at acting if he put his heart in it, no matter how many times House stated that he was a terrible liar.

“Are you going to make your team diagnose me as well?” He asked after a moment of silence. There was a sullen note in his voice.

“They will be busy with the patient,” the diagnostician simply stated. They stopped before the door of the conference room. His assistants were sat at the table, each one busy with his usual pastime and none of them had noticed their arrival. He turned and fixed his blue eyes in the other’s chocolate ones. “Not the best ending for a date, I guess. Not my fault if everybody wants me,” he half joked. Then his expression turned more serious, even if almost imperceptibly. “Do you have something to say before forgetting about it and going back in full work mode? Or maybe something to _do_?”

James kept quiet for some moments reflecting on the implication of his best friend’s question. _Forgetting about_ _it._ Could it be that he had already understood at least a part of what he was hiding? It wasn’t so impossible considering that it was House. Besides, the ring of the phone had caught them in a quite compromising position. There was no way the older man hadn’t noticed. But he had no intention to find out what the diagnostician had grasped. He had to act as nothing was out of place. “No, I don’t. I’m fine as I am. And it _wasn’t_ a date,” he firmly answered in the end, forcing himself not to avoid the other’s glance. “We have more important issues to take care of right now.”

“Yeah. I see. Patient’s waiting,” House nodded absently and opened the door. “I’ll wait for the future developments of your case.”

The oncologist followed him inside and sat down in a spare chair, while the diagnostician reached for a marker and stood near the white-board. The three other doctors immediately let go of what they were doing and turned towards their boss, ready to get back to work.

“So, here we are. Cameron, give me the data,” the latter ordered. “I have no intention of spending the whole night here because of that idiot. Cuddy wants us to diagnose him so you must hurry up and give me an idea and then we can go home waiting to see if it is correct or not.”

“White male, thirty-seven years old, already suffering of epilepsy with tonic-clonic crises and at times absence. Crises started about three months ago. They have already prescribed him sodium valproate and ethosuximide,” she listed immediately, checking her notes. “He had a crisis here in the hospital even if he was under anticonvulsants and later in the day vomited blood. We had to give him an antiemetic. There was no visible sign of haemorrhage. Moreover, he accused dizziness, confusion and fever before being hospitalized.”

“Good. Now, we probably have a patient who is epileptic without suffering from epilepsy. It’s true that drugs can’t avoid all the crises, but vomiting blood is not exactly a symptom of epilepsy. Besides it has started without warning very recently and that’s quite suspicious,” House commented writing the symptoms on the board. “The confused mental state could be due to epileptic absence, but the fever can’t.” He turned around and faced the other doctors. “Now, what can cause epileptic attacks, fever, confusion and vomiting?” He watched them exchanging glances. “I can read the answer on your face and I’m sure you are all thinking the same thing. But…” A mocking grin appeared on his face. “I want _Jimmy_ to say it! Come on, it’s your speciality after all!”

“Cancer,” Wilson muttered, rolling his eyes in annoyance. It seemed that his best friend was back at teasing him.

“Ah, that’s it! You minions would never be able to say the C-word with the right tone! Only our Boy Wonder Oncologist can do it,” the diagnostician exclaimed faking delight. “I could _fall_ for that word when it comes out from those _pretty_ lips.” He wrote the first diagnosis on the board, shooting a sneaky glance to his best friend noticing his embarrassment at his last joke. “Now. Since I want to go home, give me some other idea that would keep you busy with the tests during the night, preventing you from calling me again.”

“Usual causes of epilepsy other that tumours are brain infections, lesions, trauma, drugs or alcohol abuse,” Foreman stated. “The first explains the fever and the confusion. Complications could have led to a hidden haemorrhage.”

“We have found alcohol and marijuana at his house. Maybe the damage is due to something used to treat the drug,” Chase offered trying not to think about the fact he was probably going to spend the whole night in the lab. “We haven’t found anything else, but this doesn’t mean he hadn’t tried other drugs.”

“That’s enough for now. Go and take the samples you need for your exams. Look for infections and sign of intoxication. When you’re done, take the patient to the MRI room and Wilson will take the patient and check for cancer,” the older man nodded. “Be quick!”

The three assistants got up and left, while James turned towards his best friend who popped two pills in his mouth.

“Are you planning to get me stuck at the hospital all night as well?” He asked with a sigh.

“I need you to do check for cancer,” the reply was. “I could make my ducklings do it, but then I’d have to call you for a consult. This way is quicker.”

“Yeah, I guess you are right. After all you always feel the need to call me for a consult even when you don’t need one,” the younger man agreed shooting him a glare and standing up. “I’ll get my coat and then wait for my turn.”

“That’s the spirit! I love your enthusiasm,” House exclaimed sarcastically. “Go grab that useless piece of cloth if you need it. I’ll meet you down at the MRI.” And he left the room without giving the other the chance to say something, enjoying Wilson’s awe-struck expression.

The other doctor was probably expecting him to leave and go home, but, although the idea of being on his couch drinking a beer was really tempting, he couldn’t spoil the occasion of putting more pressure on his best friend and seeing the outcomes. The oncologist was still swayed by the events of the day and it was the best chance to force him to break and spit everything out. If he had given him the night to collect his thoughts Wilson would have built one of his stupid facades and acted has nothing had ever happened. He had already done that in the past and there was no way he was letting the idiot do it again that time, especially since the whole thing apparently concerned him himself. And, even if he would never admit it, he wanted to know what was going on because he felt it was more important than the usual secrets that Wilson tried to keep from him.

Harry’s words echoed in his mind. _Because I have no problem to admit that he is the most important person in my life. I could never stand losing him_. He snorted. That man was an idiot, he would have never thought something different about him. But he had to concede that the idiot had the guts to openly fight for what matter the most to him and especially to admit it aloud, something he couldn’t and maybe would never be able to do. What was happening between him and Wilson was another proof of his inability to express what he was really thinking. He had to hide behind his curiosity to allow himself to investigate his best friend’s odd behaviours. Maybe if he had just said that he wanted to know because he was afraid that their bond was falling apart it would have been much easier to sort things out. But that wouldn’t have been like him at all. There was the different between him and Harry. He was stuck in the part of the surly misanthrope because it was the only way of being that allowed him to face his messed up life. He had no choice, even if it meant risking losing his only one friend.


	10. Chance find

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, people!
> 
> I'm back with the new chapter! Here the team starts working on Steven's case (for real this time). I must warn once again that I'm not a doctor and I've exaggerated the possible complications of epilepsy. I'm aware that it doesn't cause all the symptoms I have put in the story! Just say it's...poetic licence!
> 
> So, in the chapter! Medical stuff, Wilson trying again to make House quit his games and Cameron getting (almost willingly) stuck in it! And she seems to be far more confident about what to do than her colleagues! What consequences will her intrusion bring?
> 
> Comments are more than welcomed! Please let me know what you think!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> Note: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), don't like, don't read please!

**Chapter 10 – _Chance find_**

Wilson was staring intently at the screen, studying the MRI scans. He had had to wait almost an hour before finally having Steven taken to the exam room. It seemed that some idiot had locked the laboratory door and finding the key hadn’t been easy. He fixed his white coat absently. Maybe it was fated that he wouldn’t get home that night. House was lying next to him in his reclining chair, apparently sound asleep. The diagnostician had forced him to carry it down from his office, stating he couldn’t be comfortable in the screens room chairs because of his leg. The oncologist shot his best friend a glance. He didn’t get why he had insisted on staying at the hospital if he was just going to sleep while the others did all the work. What was the point of drowning his team with tests to do if he wasn’t using the chance to escape and go home?

“Stop glancing. You’re disturbing my sleep,” House suddenly said without moving or opening his eyes and making James jump out of surprise.

“Damn you, House!” The latter exclaimed. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“We are in a hospital, it wouldn’t be that bad if it happened,” the older man stated innocently, eyelids still shut. “You should focus on the exam you are doing instead of wasting time scolding and looking at me.”

“I _was_ focused on the exam until you distracted me with this stupid prank of yours,” Wilson remarked annoyed. “That’s why I was startled when you opened your mouth and talked out of the blue. I had almost forgotten your presence. It’s so rare to have you completely silent. I should have known that it was too good to last.”

“I can say you’re lying even with my eyes close, so you’ve better quit it. You can be the worst liar I have ever met,” House snorted, finally looking at his best friend who shot him a nasty glance before turning his attention back to the screen. “You were repeatedly casting an eye over me.”

“Wanna add it to your “symptoms” list?” The oncologist mumbled harshly.

“I’ll do so as soon as we go back to my office,” the other pointed out with a little smirk. “I would never ignore such an interesting new element.”

Wilson sighed. He couldn’t go on like that. It had just started and he couldn’t already take it anymore. He needed to stop his friend or things would have taken a turn for the worse. “Greg, listen,” he started uncertain. “Quit it. I confess I’m hiding something from you and I’m doing it because I absolutely don’t want you to find out. Maybe telling you this would only make you try harder to discover what’s going on, but I’ll be able to say I had warned you not to. So I’m asking you, for the sake of our friendship, to let it go. You knowing it would only make things more difficult. For both of us.”

The diagnostician stared at him for a while, studying him, blue eyes piercing the dim light of the room. James tried his best to ignore them, but he couldn’t help feeling himself dissected by those far too brilliant globes. He nervously ran a hand in his hair, gaze stuck on the screen, almost hoping for something unusual to appear on it and to put this way an end to that tensed silence.

In the end, he surrendered and spoke again. “House, please, tell me what…”

“What’s that? Stop the image!” his best friend interrupted, coming closer to see what the screen was showing. He pointed it. “There’s a mass in the temporal lobe, near the hippocampus.”

“Tumours located in the temporal lobe are one of the causes of epilepsy,” the oncologist agreed, studying the image. “I wonder why the doctors who have diagnosed Steven’s epilepsy haven’t found it.”

“There is only on reason. Well, maybe two. Either they were complete imbeciles or the tumour wasn’t there when his crisis started. I go for the second since in case of epileptic crises MRI scan is almost a routine exam,” House answered pensive. “We need a biopsy of the mass. Maybe it’s not what it seems. Do you think we can do it tonight?”

James nodded. “Yes, if we get the green light. The operation has some risks, and we’ll need the patient’s consent. I’ll assist Chase during it.”

“I’m sure Idiot Number Two will sign the form if you ask him to do it. Bring my patient back to his room. I’ll page the ducklings to meet us in my office. They should be done with their tests as well by now.” The diagnostician got up and opened the door. “Oh, Jimmy, for the record, I’m not letting our little thing go. Sorry”. ‘It’s too important,’ he added mentally as he exited the room.

He heard the younger man sighing loudly just before he stepped out but he didn’t turn to look at him and quickly limped towards the elevator, his mind working fast on the information he had just gained. The mass in his patient head wasn’t almost for sure the cause of his attack. There was the possibility that it was already there when the crises had started, but it meant that it was so small it couldn’t be seen on the scans. And it couldn’t for sure lead to a tonic-clonic seizure of epilepsy. If it was cancer it could be somehow a complication of the crises. If it wasn’t, it could be the sign of an infection. It could have developed causing firstly the epileptic attacks and then the appearance of the mass in Steven’s brain. They had to find out what kind of infection was and then try to cure it with antibiotics, which was much less dangerous and complicated than removing a cancerous mass in that area of the brain. That idiot would have been far happier if he could keep his hippocampus.

Satisfied with those conclusions, his thoughts left the medical issue to wander off for a while and at last focused on the loose end between him and his best friend. He took out his pager and absently sent a message to his team. At the beginning of that story he had told himself he just needed to wait because it was Wilson’s duty to take care of relationships, but apparently this time the oncologist had decided that the best way to fix their bond was keeping the problem from him, which wasn’t a solution in that particular case. Both knew there was a pending issue that claimed to be solved and he would have normally agreed that ignoring it was the handiest option, but he knew his best friend too well. That idiot would have gone on tormenting himself about it and he would have found himself dealing with an extremely moody Wilson until the other had decided he had better spit the truth out. And who knew what could happen between them during the moody phase. It was a useless risk. From his point of view the best thing was forcing the oncologist to jump at the part where he confessed what was wrong, skipping the annoying and unpredictable mood swings. He had already seen enough of them in the last two days.

He stepped out of the elevator. There was a problem. Wilson could be really stubborn, especially if he was persuaded that he was preserving the others from getting hurt. He hated when that stupid self-sacrificing instinct of his got in the way. It always made things more bothersome. Maybe the only way to force the oncologist to give up was exasperating him far beyond his patience limits. There were good chances he would slip and say something about the matter. It was a good plan. He only needed to figure out the best way to put it in action.

He arrived at the conference room and found Foreman and Cameron already in there. The two doctors immediately looked up as he entered, showing him the papers they were carrying.

“Enlighten me, my braves!” The diagnostician ordered sitting down in a chair.

“The toxicology screen is clean both for drugs and alcohol,” Foreman stated. “Our patient isn’t an addicted or abuser.”

“Would you bear a grudge against him if he was?” House asked mockingly. “I have the feeling that you don’t like bad guys at all. Come on, bad is cool, everybody knows. There must be a reason if innocent cute girls fall so easily for the villains!”

“I have nothing against the patient or anybody else. Everybody is free to destroy his life if they want,” the neurologist talked back, trying to hide his annoyance and shooting a nasty look to his boss. “I don’t care unless it affects my life as well.”

“Getting all defensive, aren’t we?” The older man smirked. Then he turned his attention to the young woman. “Any other results?”

“We didn’t do a lumbar puncture because we didn’t know if he had masses in his brain. It could have been dangerous,” Cameron answered. “But the blood tests showed markers of inflammation. We suspected meningitis. Chase is treating him with wide-spectrum antibiotics.”

“Have you already moved him in quarantine?” House asked, shifting his cane pensively.

“Not yet. But we should. We can’t risk that he infects other…” She started to say.

“No need to move him. Whatever is burning his brain is not meningitis,” he interrupted. “He is always stuck with that idiotic friend of his. If he had meningitis he would have infected his best friend as well. We did a lumbar puncture to Idiot Number One and his fluid was clean.” He stood up and approached the white-board. “Wilson found a mass in his temporal lobe. It could be a tumour, but since the analysis shows the markers is more probable for it to be an abscess. We need a biopsy to see who is throwing a party in our patient’s head. Foreman, go and tell Chase we need his surgical abilities. And find an operating table. Wilson should be with him. Bring me the results, I’ll deal with the red tape.”

“Don’t we need Cuddy’s permission to open a patient’s head to get some pus out of it?” The neurologist asked, glaring suspiciously at him.

“I called her while in the elevator. But she was too busy groping her breasts for some future donors in her bed and hung up without listening to me,” his boss answered candidly. “She said everything I wanted was alright and to leave her alone. Maybe she didn’t like my comment about wanting to join the show.”

Foreman rolled his eyes once again. “If tomorrow she gets mad, _you_ ’ll deal with it,” he stated and then left to do as he had been told.

“You know you shouldn’t piss Cuddy off so often,” Cameron scolded the head physician, as her colleague was out of the room. “She’ll get tired of your games sooner or later.”

“She won’t. She is like Wilson, she loves me too much to chase me away for real,” he stated sarcastically. Then a thought hit him. “Speaking of which, what do you think would be the best idea to annoy someone to desperation?”

The immunologist crossed her arms, a disapproving expression on her face. “I thought you were a master in that,” she commented harshly.

“I am. But sometimes even a mastermind needs new ideas. My opponent is quite used to my usual techniques, and I need something really quick and effective,” he explained with a conspiratorial air. “I’m looking for the best way to get a confession.”

“Are you still messing with Wilson? I’ve already told you it is a bad idea. There’s no way I’m helping you with it,” Cameron exclaimed lifting her eyes to the ceiling. “I repeat it once again. Stop your childish pranks and leave Wilson _alone_.”

“I’m not messing with him!” He protested loudly, but immediately amended catching the woman’s sceptical glance. “OK, I am, but it’s for a good reason.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“Will you give me a consult on how to make Wilson confess?”

“It depends on your reasons.”

“It’s a yes or no question, my dear, no maybes. If you will, I’ll tell you what this is about. If you don’t, you’d better leave and join your colleagues downstairs.”

Cameron bit her lip, thinking hard. She didn’t want to help House acting behind Wilson’s back, it wasn’t fair. She had a good relationship with the oncologist and considered him a friend as well as a colleague. On the other hand, she knew that if she refused to take part in the diagnostician’s plans it wouldn’t stop him from messing up. Instead, if she had agreed to his conditions she could have the chance to avoid the worst thing. Or at least she could try. Moreover, she couldn’t deny she was curious to find out what was going on between the two. “OK. I’m in,” she gave up in the end. “But I’m not doing anything that could harm Wilson.”

“Great! I was hoping for your public spirit to urge you to agree and try to smooth the things,” House cheered up, swallowing a pill. “That’s exactly what I wanted.” He watched her roll her eyes exasperated before resume the speaking. “Now, here’s the issue. Wilson has been acting weird lately and in the last two days it got a lot worse.” He reached for his backpack and pulled out the pub white-board. He wrote something on it. “It’s clear as day that he is hiding something from me. He admitted it himself today. He also said something about the fact that this thing could ruin our friendship if I find out and other melodramatic crap. I know this thing is somehow about me and that’s a problem for Wilson. Usually I’d just ignore it, but since he can’t do it in turn I have to make him spit it out before he spends an awful long time being a pain in the ass before confessing it anyway in the end.”

“I don’t think you should try to find it out if Wilson is so sure it could be dangerous for your friendship. He wouldn’t try so hard to hide it from you if he wasn’t somehow protecting you,” the immunologist said glancing curiously at the little board. “He cares a lot about you and you feel the same about him, even if you pretend so hard not to. Are you sure you want to take the risk?”

“I’m sure it’s just him exaggerating as usual. I don’t need to be protected, by the way. I’m fine on my own,” he lied, snorting. “And then I don’t see what could be so harmful. Have a look.” He handed her the boar. “Here his “symptoms” are.”

“You are trying to _diagnose_ him. I can’t believe it!” She sighed reading the lines. “Rather, indeed I can. It’s so much like you.”

“Thanks. Can we get to work now?”

The young woman kept quiet for some moments studying the white-board. ‘Oh God’ was the only thought that crossed her mind as she put the pieces together. She shot her boss a questioning glance. Was it possible that House hadn’t figured out what all those signs meant yet? She couldn’t believe that he hadn’t at least thought about it, but since he was asking her for a “consult” it meant he wasn’t sure of the real reason behind Wilson’s behaviour. Well, most people in his situation would have allowed themselves the benefit of doubt after all. She needed to do something and quickly. “Do you have any possible…diagnosis?” She carefully asked, trying to sound relaxed, but she was fully aware that she wasn’t convincing.

“I’ve got few ideas, but the only way to prove one of them right is to make Wilson confess,” the diagnostician answered, his piercing eyes studying her, as if he was trying to read her thoughts. “Why are you asking? Did _you_ have a diagnosis?”

“Not a clue!” She quickly said avoiding his gaze. She was sure he knew that she was lying, but there was no way she was telling him what she had grasped. “I was asking because if you have any idea of what’s going on we could use it to put pressure on Wilson. If he thinks that you know what the matter is, he’ll be urged to come and talk you about it, to make sure you two are still OK.”

“You can be a plotter if you want! It’s a pity that you are such a bad liar,” House mocked, but there was a satisfied note in his voice. “I’ve already tried to insist on asking him about the matter, I even tried to diagnose him in front of a friend of his and her date, but he kept saying to quit it. Even if he was so distressed! That was fun actually.”

Cameron cast him a scolding glance. “I thought you wanted to solve your problem, not to make fun out of Wilson’s distress.”

“Yeah, yeah, but if it’s fun it’s better!”

“You’ll never change,” she sighed once again, then shook her head. She had to keep focused or the older man could have tricked her into telling him what she really thought. “Since the direct attack didn’t work, stop asking him about it. Just try to make him feel as much uneasy as possible, instil the doubt that you know into him. He would break at some point. Then you could go on and make him confess.”

House smirked. That was a really good plan. And he was going to enjoy it. “I like it. Good job, Cameron. Now I see how you get Chase screw you where and when you feel like having him to. There’s a devil under that nice angelic face.”

The immunologist blushed lightly, embarrassed and a little irritated. “Leave Chase out of this. We are discussing you and Wilson, not me and him, House,” she stated firmly, feeling cut to the quick. “If you want my collaboration try at least not to upset me, will you?”

“How touchy! That’s fine, I’ll leave your boyfriend out of this for the moment,” he gave in showing his hands in surrender, but his expression clearly said otherwise. “I’ll do what you suggest and we’ll see. I’ll think of every possible way to embarrass our little Jimmy.”

“I’d like to tell you that I can’t see why Wilson stays so stubbornly stuck to you, but I’d be lying and we both know it,” she muttered under her breath. “May I go? We still have a patient to take care off. His health is far more important than your childish games. Besides, the others will start wondering where I am.”

“Yeah, of course. Go and supervise the other kids. Tell them that Dad is waiting for you all to come back in your Uncle’s office,” the older man nodded getting up. “Time to take a nap!”

Cameron shook her head one last time and then she left the room turning to see her boss opening the door of Wilson’s office and closing it behind him. She wondered once again if she had made the right choice. Maybe she should discuss the matter with the oncologist, but this way she would be forced to tell him about House’s plan and she would risk messing everything up. She realized she had to keep quiet. Her hands were tied. For the moment she could only wait and see how things would develop.

 

“I’ve arrived near the mass. I’m taking the sample for the biopsy,” Chase announced, his voice muffled by the mask that was covering his mouth. “Here we go.” He handed the substance he had just extracted to Wilson, who immediately prepared it for the biopsy.

“It’s not cancerous. It’s an abscess,” he stated after observing it in the microscope. “You can remove all the mass.”

Chase nodded and held a hand out towards Foreman who passed him the surgical instruments. “It’s good news. No cancer means he can keep his hippocampus and all the rest,” he commented, eyes focused on what he was doing.

“But it also means we still don’t know what’s wrong with him,” the neurologist pointed out. “It’s most likely an infection, but we have to find out which one. If we are lucky the material from the abscess will tell us.”

“We should have caught it in time, we should be able to treat him,” the oncologist said. “That’s what matters. I’m glad I don’t have to tell somebody they have cancer at three in the morning. We could put him back on wide-screen antibiotics and sleep for few hours.”

“Yeah, like House. I’m sure he is napping somewhere,” the blond complained. “He forced me to operate even if I hadn’t got much sleep last night. I’m surprise I can still be so precise.”

“I bet twenty bucks he is in my office,” James chuckled, smiling a bit under his mask. “As for forcing you…It’s his way to show you that he trusts your abilities, Chase.”

“And that he is an irresponsible who doesn’t give a damn about everything,” Foreman interjected. “But we already knew that.”

They kept quiet for the rest of the operation. Foreman and Chase completed the surgery while Wilson took care of the abscess tissue they had extracted. Once they were done they left the nurses and Cameron to take care of the unconscious patient and went to wash themselves. The neurologist volunteered to take the sample to the laboratory and examine it. He wasn’t in the mood for listening to his boss’s crap while waiting for the results. The blond headed straight back to the office, while the oncologist waited for Cameron to join him before going upstairs.

James leant on the wall next to Steven’s room, waiting for the immunologist to get out. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling awfully tired. He had an appointment within six hours and he wasn’t sure he would manage to make himself decent for it. And he didn’t want to think about all the paperwork that was there for him on his desk. He enjoyed working with House as he was doing with that case but he couldn’t do it and together being the head of Oncology. There was no way he could cope with the two things at the same time. Moreover, his personal matters were only making things even worse. He really needed some sleep.

“Dr Wilson. Were you waiting for me?” Cameron’s voice forced him back to reality.

“Ah, Allison. Yeah…Chase is already upstairs and Foreman is examining the sample,” he answered with a forced smile, turning to face her. “How is Steven?”

“He is fine. He has awakened. Harry had waited for him to come out of surgery and I had to explain him how it went,” she said making a sign to him to walk with her hand. “They are talking, but I’m sure they will soon fast asleep. Lucky them! I’m starting to feel tired.”

“Me too. Working for House is harder than I thought,” he laughed quietly, shaking his head. “But I also understand why you guys enjoy it so much. It’s satisfying.”

“Would you like to work for him?” She asked curiously. Then, catching his puzzled look, she quickly added: “If you hadn’t your job, I mean. I know you love it and everything.”

“Well, I don’t know,” Wilson answered cautiously after some moments. “I guess it would be fun and I would love to spend more time with my best friend, but I think we will end up to slitting each other throat. It would be difficult and we would spend most of our time arguing. And besides I’m not sure that I’d like the idea of him being my boss. He would have the excuse to make me do what he wants. I’m fine with the current state of things.”

“You’re right. It wouldn’t be the best thing for you. Besides, I’m almost sure he already spends more time with you than with us even at work,” she agreed chuckling. “It had taken me some time to accept the fact that House could care so deeply for someone, even if he does everything to hide it. If you don’t know him really well you would think it’s impossible.”

“Yeah. It’s an interesting contradiction. I myself sometimes wonder how I could have last so long by his side. It’s more than a decade, almost fifteen years.”

“It’s indeed a long time. And, considering it is House we are talking about, it’s not something that everybody can do.”

They had reached the corridor where their offices were and they could see Chase pacing in front of Wilson’s, waiting for them to join him.

Cameron stopped few meters before the door, far enough to be sure that the blond couldn’t hear what she was about to say, and put a hand on James arm to hold him. “Wilson, don’t ask me anything about what I’m telling you now, just listen.” Her voice was caring but firm. “I know that there’s something going on between you and House, something really serious, even if he still doesn’t know how much.” She sighed with a note of melancholy. “I know what it means, I’ve been through it, and it’s…hard. So _damn_ hard. But this is not a good excuse to give up. It has been for me, but it’s not for you. Those fifteen years must mean something. You have many more chances than me and then almost all the other people we know. Just…Go for it as soon as you think it’s the right moment.”

“Let me guess, you have seen that damned white-board,” Wilson sighed, trying to hide is blush. “He is so _absurd_.”

“But that’s why we like him so much after all,” Cameron smiled fondly and winked at him, making his embarrassment grew even more. “I bet everything on a happy ending!” And with that she turned and reached Chase, whispering something in his ear and making him turn red.

The oncologist chuckled and walked towards them. He wanted to be mad at House for showing Cameron the board and accidentally revealing his secret to her, but he couldn’t. The young woman’s words had been nice and quite reassuring, even if he wasn’t sure if he could totally trust them. The immunologist tended to see the bright side of situations and was always optimistic. And that was something that couldn’t work if the matter was House-related. But anyway they had renewed his hopes and that had made him feel better. Maybe he could have more options apart from doing nothing.


	11. Fifteen Years

**Chapter 11 – _Fifteen years_**

House loved napping in his best friend’s office, even if he would never admit it. The place was silent once the door was closed and the blinds prevented most of the light from coming inside, even during the day, leaving the room wrapped in semi-darkness. Moreover, it was filled with things that had become familiar to him, and even the atmosphere was now well-acquainted. He felt almost as safe as if he was at his own apartment when he was in there, especially if Wilson was with him. The oncologist’s presence was the most familiar thing of the room and the diagnostician had started to wonder if the reassuring feeling that the office gave him was due to the fact that he was surrounded by his best friend’s possessions. He clearly remembered how hollow and alien, almost _hostile_ , the room had suddenly become when Wilson had been forced by Vogler to leave it, even if for a short while.

He couldn’t deny that after the infarction and Stacy’s departure, and maybe even before that, James Wilson had been the only stable, comforting presence in his damaged existence. He could be annoying, at times too moralist and nice for his tastes, but he was always there for him. He could make House hate him, insult him, chase him away, but in the end he always came back. The oncologist had always put him first, fact that had led to more than one huge fight with his ex-wives, but the younger man, apart from mourning over it for a brief time, had never showed to regret his choice of priority. Wilson had talked about a limit of his endurance and had warned him many times not to try him out, but he hadn’t really listened and had gone further than any other sane person would have. He had seen the oncologist struggle to cope with all he had done to him, but never backing away, even when he was really hurt. They fought and avoided each other for some time, just to end up once again on the older man’s couch drinking beer and watching TV. No matter how hard he tried, even if he had really wanted, he couldn’t have managed to get rid of Wilson. And he couldn’t be happier knowing that.

Somebody knocked and House jerked awake, realising he had dozed off while thinking about his best friend. “Yeah,” he shouted, bringing himself in a seated position.

The door opened and Wilson let Cameron and Chase in, before following them and closing the door behind his back.

“Abscess. The mass was an abscess. Foreman is analysing it right now,” the Australian announced grabbing a chair and sitting down. “The surgery went well, without complications. But we noticed that his fever was getting higher.”

The immunologist imitated him and sat down in the other chair right next to him, while the oncologist stood behind them. “We have put him again under wide-spectrum antibiotics,” she added. “They should keep his conditions under check until we find out what’s affecting him.”

“Wilson, sit down. It’s almost four in the morning, I don’t think you have all that energy left,” the diagnostician ordered pointing the space next to him on the couch and waited for the other to join him there. Then he turned his attention to his assistants. “So, we have an infection that had arrived to the brain causing epilepsy, meninx inflammation and fever,” he summed up, talking more to himself than to the others. “We can’t do a lumbar puncture since the patient has just got out of surgery. If the abscess doesn’t give us the answer, we have two possibilities. Or we have been unlucky and there are no traces left of bacteria, or it’s viral.”

“If it’s viral the antibiotics won’t be as effective as we expect them to be and this could be a clue of the nature of the infection,” Cameron offered. “Besides, we can do tests for the most probable infections that can cause epilepsy.”

“Cameron is right. We need to wait for Foreman to bring us the result and let the antibiotics do their job,” Chase agreed nodding. “Tomorrow morning we’ll act accordingly.”

“Yeah. That’s a good one,” House said leaning against the seatback and brushing apparently by chance against Wilson in the process. “Once we get the results, everybody can go and get some sleep. There are plenty of spare beds in a hospital.”

“You’re so generous to give us the permission to get some sleep in turn,” the oncologist stated sarcastically, forcing himself to ignore the random touch. He was too tired for his best friend’s games. “I thought your plan was to make us busy all night so you could rest in peace.”

“It would involve me thinking about some unnecessary task and I’m not in the mood for it at the moment. Besides, if the patient has another attack after you have gone to sleep, you all will be too much in a daze to treat him and think about calling me at the same time. This way I’m sure that, even in case of complications, my sleep won’t be disturbed.”

“You’re a manipulative bastard,” Chase commented with an amused grin. “I bet you are hoping for it to happen so you’ll be able to mock us for looking all ruffled later in the morning while you are as cool as a cucumber!”

“You caught me, wombat. That’s exactly my plan,” the older man smirked. “And this is why I’m sleeping on this couch while I’ll send you in a room near the patient’s!”

“Hey, this is _my_ office, just in case you don’t remember it. _I_ should be sleeping here,” James protested crossing his arms. “Why don’t you go in yours?”

“Glass walls. I don’t like thinking that you could spy on me while I’m sleeping,” the diagnostician answered, delighted to see his friend blush a bit.

“Why would I do something like that? You are the pervert here, not me,” the other protested embarrassed.

He ignored his question. “Besides, your couch is far more comfortable. Or would you be so cruel to force your poor _crippled_ friend to sleep on some uncomfortable chair?”

“Don’t play the cripple card, House!”

“Why? Because you can’t retort to it? I’m just stating the truth.”

“You argue like an old married _couple,_ ” Cameron commented gaining a chuckle from the blond. “Really, if I didn’t know you, I will _swear_ you are one.”

The oncologist gazed away not knowing how to argue, while House shot her a brief approving look and said in a mocking tone: “Oh, but we are! But Jimmy is still too shy to come out of the closet, aren’t you?” He poked his best friend’s arm with his index. “Come on, Wilson, we should tell the kids who is their real Mom.”

“How can you be so active at this hour of the night?” The younger man sighed exasperated, only to yelp immediately after when the other’s finger moved from his arms and dug into his hip.

“You are the woman here, I told you,” the diagnostician pointed out solemnly. “Back to our discussion, you can always sleep in your office as well if you want. The floor is all for you.” A little smirk spread on his face. “I’d ask you to share the couch but you wouldn’t bear to become a pillow for my leg, would you?”

At that remark Wilson face turned bright red as the image of his best friend and him wrapped around each other broke into his mind. He felt a wave of warmth running over his body and making him drop his eyes self-consciously, as he tightened the grip on his own arms. He shot a brief glance to Cameron and Chase. The first was looking at him a little worried, while the second was studying his nails, biting his lower lip to restrain himself from openly laughing. He wasn’t sure he could bear that mocking any longer. It felt almost humiliating. Why did House have to make fun of him like that all the time? A pang of anger joined his discomfort as he felt another poke on his hip. “House, quit it,” he commanded calmly, forcing himself to meet the other’s eyes. “I mean it.”

House almost pouted at that change of behaviour and poked him once again in answer. “You are no fun, Wilson,” he complained whining and causing Chase to burst into laughter. With another poke he added: “And I was serious about sharing the couch.”

James opened his mouth to retort, but in that moment the door opened and Foreman entered, a paper in his hand and a light annoyed expression on his face.

“Ah, Foreman! Damn, you have interrupted them at the very moment,” the blond complained turning towards his colleague. “You killjoy.”

“I’ve analysed the sample from the abscess but I couldn’t find any recognisable pathogen,” he announced briefly, ignoring Chase’s reproach.

“Let’s get to plan B then. Go and get some sleep,” House commanded. “Later we will see if the antibiotics are doing their job or not.”

His team immediately stood up at the word “sleep” and quickly abandoned the room, fearing that it was too good to be true and that their boss told them he was joking if they didn’t vanish quickly enough. Wilson shook his head and got up in turn.

“Where are you going?” The diagnostician asked, taking advantage of the now spare couch to lie down carefully on his good side.

“To get some sleep as you ordered. I really need it,” the oncologist answered glaring at him and putting his hands on his hips. “I’ll join your ducklings downstairs.”

“And what about you defending your territory?”

“I’m too tired for that right now. Another time maybe, when I haven’t spent a day and half a night running tests and working for you. I need more hours of sleep to be your entertainment. Besides, tomorrow morning I have an appointment with a patient and lot of paperwork that claims my attention.”

“I must deduce you have no intention of sleeping here on the floor.”

“Exactly. I don’t want to have to deal with a backache tomorrow, you know. Headache will be enough.”

The silence filled the room but none of the two moved. They just remained still where they were, House lying lazily on the couch and looking up at his friend, Wilson standing right in front of him and staring at the free space on the cushions. It was really tempting.

“Is this your way to ask for some company?” The younger dared to question after some minutes of lull, moving his eyes to meet his best friend’s.

“I’ve never said that,” the other stated quietly, but a playful smirk had appeared on his face. “I’ve just pointed out that there is plenty of space for you in this room. Floor, chairs or _couch_. Whatever you want to choose.”

Wilson ran a hand on his face. “I’ll regret this, I know it. But I have no strength left to discuss with you and I really want to sleep.” He removed his sweatshirt and put it on the chair. “Don’t you dare to laugh or mock me,” he warned before lying down next to his friend, careful not to bump the injured tight in the process, facing him.

“Told you that the floor wasn’t an option,” House mumbled sleepily, swallowing his good-night dose and stretching his right leg on top of Wilson’s. “Damn. You’re not as comfortable as you seem, you know?”

James kept quiet, already regretting his decision. Their closeness was making him more uneasy that he had expected. He could feel the diagnostician breath reaching his skin and it was taking him all his willpower not to extend a hand and reach for his face. He put an arm under his head and the other behind his back. The temptation to touch and explore the body that was lying right next to him was too much. Only two days ago he would have never thought to feel that way about House, not even in his strangest dreams. He had felt attraction towards other guys in the past, when he was still in college, but it had happened only on a couple of times and he had dismissed it as due to curiosity and hormones. But now everything was different. Now that his mind had finally registered and accepted the feelings he had likely been hiding from himself for some years, his body seemed to have had a similar epiphany and had started reacting according to what he was feeling. It was much more intense and deeper than what he had experienced when he was younger. It couldn’t be just ascribed to the chemistry. He was too old for that, and what he felt wasn’t only physical attraction. It was far beyond that. Moreover, House was far from being any normal guy he could have met in his life. He was _different_ , he had always been.

The oncologist silently thanked when House closed his eyes, saving him from having to face that piercing gaze. He carefully studied his best friend’s features, discovering a lot of details he had never cared to notice before. The way his short hair fell messily around, the sharp line of his jaw, the uneven stubble, the ever-present bags under his eyes. He found himself fascinated by all those little things. His eyes lingered yearningly on House’s mouth and he couldn’t help licking his own lips nervously. He wondered what kissing him tasted like and he couldn’t deny that he longed to know. It had to be something extremely different from everything he had already tried, something really unique as his best friend was.

“Stop staring, Wilson. Who is the perv now?” The diagnostician said without opening his eyes, making him jump. “I haven’t invited you next to me to prevent me from sleeping. If you don’t close those pretty eyes of yours and sleep I’ll push you on the floor.”

“S-Sorry,” he stuttered blushing profusely and shutting his eyes immediately. It was better if he just tried to sleep. Some rest was surely going to help him feel better. He tried to sooth his emotional discomfort and made himself more comfortable on the couch, instinctively moving the arm he had behind his back and setting him between their bodies.

He had almost fallen asleep when he felt a hot hand covering his own, sending shivers running down his spine. He kept his eyes closed and didn’t move, not wanting that warmth to leave him, but he couldn’t stop himself from cracking a small smile. He didn’t know if House had done it consciously or if it was just his body reaching out for warmth in his sleep, but it felt good and that was the only things he cared about at the moment. He let out a satisfied muffled sound and he surrendered to his exhaustion, quickly drifting off.

 

Wilson woke up four hours later at the sound of somebody knocking to his door. His head hurt protesting for the still present tiredness and it took him a few moments to realise where he was and why. There was something heavy around his waist and he felt warmer. He slowly opened his eyes and found out that he had moved closer to House in his sleep and that the diagnostician had threw an arm around him.

“House, House, wake up!” He called gently, embarrassed. He wished he could stay in that position just a little longer but he couldn’t afford them to be caught in that position. “Can you move from me? I need to get up. Somebody’s knocking.”

The older man groaned and mumbled something unintelligible but he withdrew his arm and leg from him, a hand blindly feeling his own shirt to find the Vicodin bottle.

The oncologist got up straightening his clothes and opened the door, revealing Cameron carrying two mugs of hot coffee. He smiled at her and greeted: “Good morning, Allison. Did you sleep well? What time is it?”

“Good morning!” She answered grinning in turn. “Not bad, thanks. The patient had a crisis, but I refused to get up so the boys took care of it. I’m bringing everybody morning coffee as penance. It’s eight twenty. How was the floor?”

James looked away, feeling uneasy. “Uh, when I try it I’ll tell you,” he mumbled taking the cups from her hands.

The immunologist stared at him for some seconds and then turned to look at her boss who was getting up and stirring. “You two slept together!” She exclaimed astonished. Then, noticing the younger man startled blush and reconsidering her own words, she coughed a couple of time and corrected herself: “You two slept _on the couch_ together.”

“Yeah, what’s so odd? Can’t two grown man who are _best friends_ sleeping together on the same couch?” House barked annoyed by the high pitched tone of her voice, accepting the mug that Wilson was handing to him. “Can you avoid screaming like that? It’s still early morning and you’re worse than a piano out of tune.”

She lowered her gaze, uneasy. “Sorry. I was just…a bit surprised,” she tried to explain. “You’re not exactly the type of person who likes…physical _contact_. That’s it.”

“Who mentioned the contact? We only slept on the same mattress. It would be unprofessional spreading our most intimate fluids at workplace,” the diagnostician claimed mockingly. “We leave that kind of activities for our spare time. But if you want to watch you only need to ask and I’ll invite you next time we are at it.”

The door opened again on the last two phrase and Foreman stepped in. “I don’t want to know,” he stated as first thing. Then he announced: “The patient is vomiting blood once again and the antiemetics aren’t working. He has an abdominal haemorrhage, Chase is preparing him for another surgery.”

“What about the antibiotics?” House quickly asked.

“Not working as they should. It’s most likely viral,” the answer was.

The diagnostician nodded. “Foreman, go and assist Chase at the operating table. Cameron and I will watch the operation,” he ordered. “I need to think.” And with that he limped out of the office without waiting for an answer.

The neurologist and the immunologist excused themselves and ran after him, leaving Wilson alone. The latter let out a sigh and straightened his T-shirt again, checking the time. If he hurried up he could take a shower before his first appointment. It would have been nice doing at least that since he hadn’t spare clothes at the hospital that day.

He grabbed the key of his locker and closed the door behind him. His mind was back at the sensations he had experienced immediately after awakening. His whole body had been almost pressed against his best friend’s and House had pulled him in a strange kind of hug during their sleep. He was quite used to have a body near to his own considering his numerous experiences, but it hadn’t been the same thing that time. Usually he was the one who embraced and for him it was new being embraced. Besides his usual partners never made him feel all the possessiveness that filled House’s grip on him and had never clung on him with strength and need at the same time. In a weird way it had felt _right_ having those arms around him, righter than all the other times put together. He could have easily got used to it, there were no doubts about that.

He realised that he had reached the changing room. He was so lost in thoughts that he had gone the whole way without noticing it. He sighed, starting to undress and pushing aside the pleasurable memories to focus on most impelling issues. Had it meant something or had everything happened by chance? Was House conscious of what he was doing? Considering he was referring to the diagnostician it was really unlikely that something had been left to chance. If he had made him to sleep next to him there had to be a specific reason. But then, why would he have done something like that? Was it another test? Had House grasped what he was hiding from him and was trying to see if he his conclusions were right? Or was it his way to show him that he knew and felt the same way?

He was tempted to state that the answer to his last question was surely negative, but only thinking about that possibility made him shiver with hope. Maybe he should talk to House about the whole issue, as Cameron had suggested, even if the prospect of rejection was more than scaring. But by now he knew he wouldn’t have been able to prevent the diagnostician from figuring everything out. The constant teasing, all revolving around certain themes, the casual touches, and now all those closeness while sleeping. House was at least already suspecting that he had romantic feelings for him. That would explain all those strange behaviours, even if he couldn’t get the reason behind that particular choice of acting. It was a test, he was almost sure of it, but there were other ways to force him to reveal what he was keeping. If it had been only teasing he could have understood, but they had had brief serious moments and some sort of intimate contacts that weren’t usual from the diagnostician’s part. Once again he couldn’t help to think that Cameron might have been right, that those fifteen years might have meant something.

He entered the shower and let the hot water run over his body, washing away part of his tiredness. He rubbed his skin quickly trying to relax and to forget about the mess he was stuck in. He needed to focus on his job. House could do it, so why shouldn’t he? Moreover, giving it a break would have helped him to clear his mind. Once he was more objective, he would reconsider the matter. For now he should just let it go.

He grabbed his shampoo and spread it on his hair, trying to recall all the details of the case he was going to discuss. It was one of his terminal patients. A groan escaped his lips. He hated it when he was forced to start a day dealing with death since the very beginning.

 

House was standing few inches from the glass, his eyes focused on the on-going surgery. Chase seemed to have found the source of the haemorrhage and was trying to stop it. The wall of an artery had broken and the blood had entered the intestine. He played with the handle of his cane, lost in thoughts. The vomit had followed the crises both times. It was likely that the convulsion had damaged the vessels, causing it to bleed. The first time it had been a small one and their patient’s body had repaired the damage by itself, while the second time it had affected a bigger vessel, which had probably already been damaged by previous crises as well. He was almost sure that this wasn’t a new symptom but only a complication, not useful for his diagnosis. There was no reason for him to be there.

He turned towards Cameron who was standing by his side. “When they are done with that bloody mess go and run the tests for the infections,” he said. “If there is a clue inside his body I want you to find it.” The guy had suffered from the crises for three months. Nobody could say how many vessels had been weakened or damaged during the attacks. Until they were in places where they could stop the haemorrhages without many risks it wasn’t a great deal. However, if the break had concerned an important or difficult to reach artery, it would have been a problem. “I’ll be in my office. Come only when you have all the results. I don’t want to be disturbed in any other case.”

The immunologist nodded, but avoided a verbal answer. She had worked for him long enough to understand when House needed to be left alone with his mental processes. That was one of the most delicate phases of his diagnostic process. He needed to find the right idea or the patient’s life would have suffered for his lack of inspiration. So she just stood where she was, watching him leave, as if he had already forgotten about her. She was sure that he would come out with the right answer in the end, but she had to hope it would happen on time.

The diagnostician went straight to his office, ignoring what sounded like Cuddy’s voice calling for him just before the elevator doors closed. He had no time for reproaches or whatever she wanted from him. Once he got inside his office, he accurately locked both the front door and the one that connected to the conference room. If she wanted to talk to him she would have to wait until he was done. He sat in his chair and grabbed his tennis ball, shooting a glance to the woman who was standing in front of the glass, hands on her hips and an irritated fire in her eyes.

“ _House_!” The Dean of Medicine shouted, but the sound of her voice was muffled by the transparent wall. She was drawing the attention of all the people on the floor but she couldn’t care less. “Open this damned door. You made your patient undergo a dangerous surgery in the middle of the night without asking my permission.”

‘Ah, this is what all her yelling is about,’ he thought, stubbornly pretending not to hear her. He rolled his eyes annoyed. When he found out who had gone straight to her and told her about his test he would make him or her pay. He already had a couple of names in his mind.

“House, open this door or I’ll make the security do it for you!” Cuddy threatened, knocking hard on the glass. There was no way she was letting him get away with it. “You can’t do whatever you want in this hospital! There are rules you need to follow! And if you really can’t get yourself doing it, at least warn me before so I can make things work! Open this door! _Now_!”

House snorted irritated and got up to let her in. She was going to scold him for some more time, then give him more hours in the Clinic and leave. He went back to his chair, absently taking notice of the woman following him and placing herself in front of his desk before starting again with her crap about rules and risks. He didn’t care even to pretend he was listening, and his attention was soon caught by something else. He had spotted Wilson opening the door of his office to see what was going on. Their eyes met briefly and even at that distance he could see an amused spark in his best friend’s chocolate eyes. He bit back a grin. That bastard. He was going to enjoy the show and to mock him about it later.

“House, are you listening to me?” The Dean asked with an annoyed tone. “I’m talking to you. And it’s not like I’m telling you the last gossip news!”

“What do you think?” He answered sarcastically, still looking at the oncologist in the corridor. “Do I look like a person who is totally caught by your amazing speech? Because if I am, then there must be something wrong with the nerves that control my facial expression. And, for the report, I’ll be far more interested if we were gossiping.”

She followed his glance and turned around casting a deadly glance to Wilson who waved at her sheepishly. Then she went back to face House. “It’s nice to see that you two are hand and glove once again, but I’d like you to look at me, since you’re talking with me and not with _Wilson,_ ” she stated, crossing her arms.

“No, I’m not talking with you, _you_ are talking _to_ me. That’s different. For this reason, I don’t feel obliged to look at you. And actually I am talking with Wilson, so I must look at him! I would be rude if I don’t!” He talked back, glancing briefly at her. “And, just for the record, we are _not_ OK.”

Cuddy lifted her eyes, exasperated. “How can you talk with him if you two aren’t even in the same room?” She exclaimed. “And don’t lie to me, you two are more OK. Or you won’t be doing this annoying game in front of me.”

“We don’t need words to speak to each other,” the diagnostician claimed solemnly. “Ever heard about best friends’ telepathy? We are discussing your alluring outfit at the moment.”

The woman glared at him, but gave up. “Well, I’ll leave you to your conversation then! You’re lucky that I have more important things to do and I have no time for baby-sitting you. But it’s not over, we will finish this conversation sooner or later.” She stormed out of the office, shooting another disapproving glance to the oncologist before heading for the elevator.

The latter rubbed his neck trying to hide his amusement before looking back at House once again. He saw the older man mouthing “You are my saviour” with a smirk and then going back tossing his ball in the air. He shook his head had and went back to his office, where his patient was waiting for him.


	12. Something Amiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!
> 
> I'm finally back! Also, next chapter is almost ready so I'll surely post it soon!
> 
> We have the results of the medical tests from last chapter...but the poor ducklings will only gain a scolding because of them. In spite of that, the solution seems closer...but is it really? Meanwhile Wilson decides to listen to Cameron's advice and confront House about the whole issue...What reaction will he get?
> 
> My, the summary sounds like a soap opera xD
> 
> Let me know what you think, please! It's important for me!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> Note: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), don't like, don't read please!

**Chapter 12 – _Something amiss_**

“All negative. It’s impossible. It must be one of those infections!”

House was pacing up and down in the conference room, his eyes repeatedly darting towards the white-board. The diagnosis fitted the previous tests results, explained the symptoms. It made sense. What was he missing then? “Are you sure you have tested everything? That you haven’t forgotten anything?”

His three assistants watched him moving around the room from their position near the door. They knew too well from previous experiences that it was better to have a handy escape near you when their boss was in that kind of mood. They were holding the papers with the tests results and obviously the fact that none of them was positive hadn’t made the diagnostician happy. It meant that they were still far away from discovering which of the thousands viral infections was affecting their patient. The mystery stayed unsolved and their time was running out. They couldn’t predict when Steven would have the next crisis and especially they couldn’t foretell which possible complications it could cause.

“We have run the tests three times,” Foreman calmly insisted in the end. He wasn’t going to let his boss’s bad mood to affect his professionalism. “And we have tested for all the main viral infections connected with epilepsy. Meningitis, HIV infections, encephalitis. Nothing.”

“We have checked for other abscesses or brain lesions, but we have found nothing,” Chase added crossing his arms. “We have even run the tests for diabetes mellitus, even if we had no reason to suspect it.”

“I’ve suggested degenerative diseases like Alzheimer when we ran out of options, even if he is too young for them. It could have been a precocious form,” Cameron said, her voice trembling a little. “But even those tests came out negative.”

“So, you are telling me that we know he has an infection but we can’t find out which one? And he is dying because of that?” The diagnostician asked harshly. “Great! Well, I guess the autopsy will reveal us the answer.”

“But we still have time. The antibiotics are keeping his conditions under check and…” the immunologist tried to say, but she was interrupted.

“Yeah, under check! Of course! At least until he has another crisis and related haemorrhage, or until the infection becomes too strong and sends him underground!” The older man tightened the grip on his cane. “What about exanthematous diseases of childhood?”

The three assistants exchanged glances and the blond stuttered after some moments of silence: “We…We didn’t…I mean, he isn’t showing any of the symptoms…No rash, no cough, not conjunctivitis, no pus or other signs he could be affected…And besides none of the people who have been in contact with the patient have gotten ill…”

“So, you have run tests for Alzheimer and diabetes but you have ruled out measles and chicken pox only because he didn’t show the _classical_ symptoms?” House exclaimed clearly enraged. “You idiots! I thought I had succeeded in teaching you that illnesses don’t always present the normal symptoms, especially if we are talking about of the patients of _my_ department!” He couldn’t believe it. How could they have made such a stupid mistake? “You have just wasted _hours_ for _useless_ tests when we could have already found the answer by now. You are personally responsible for possible complications. Now go and run those tests before our patient dies because his idiotic doctors haven’t tested him for the most _obvious_ causes only because he had no red spots on his skin. And before I decided that maybe a need a new team!”

The three doctors rushed out of the room as soon as he ended the last sentence, but he had the time to hear the neurologist saying something about the fact that even the great Gregory House made mistakes before the door closed. He mentally took note to find some nasty prank to play on him as soon as they had solved the case.

The diagnostician shook his head in disbelief and snorted. How could those three have missed something like that? Maybe it was the lack of sleep, for which he was actually responsible, but he pushed the thoughts aside. There was no way he was going to justify them. Feeling down-hearted for some time was a good way to teach them a lesson and to prevent them from repeating the same mistake in the future. Besides failures were the only things that could really strengthen their personality and being able to bear them was important for people who did their job. Moreover, it was a new source of teasing for him.

He glanced at the clock. Half past two. All those tests had taken an awful amount of time and he had been so absorbed in his thinking that he had missed lunch. He absolutely had to fix it. He swallowed a Vicodin and headed out of the office towards the one next door. He hadn’t seen Wilson’s door opening since his discussion with Cuddy and that likely meant that also his best friend hadn’t eaten yet. He could still get a free lunch even if it was later than usual.

He pushed the door open with his cane, as always not caring to knock. The two occupants of the room immediately turned towards him and the oncologist let out an exasperated sigh that seemed to say “Here we are once again”.

“Wilson, buy me lunch!” House commanded, ignoring the middle-aged woman who was seated in front of the younger man’s desk and who was looking at him confused.

“House, I’m with a patient,” James stated calmly, already knowing what the answer would be and how that show would end. They acted on it at least three times a week.

“Is she going to die?”

“No, but…”

“Then she can wait! My stomach can’t.”

“You’re not going to die for starvation if you wait other ten minutes.”

“How do you know?”

Wilson shook his head, but before he could find a proper answer his patient interjected quite angrily. “Excuse me, whoever you are. I’m here because Dr Wilson and I need to discuss my cancer treatment. I’ll be grateful if you get out and wait for your turn. I’m sure that your stomach can handle ten more minutes, while my body has only one year left. So, please, stop being a pain in the ass and let my doctor work.”

House stared at her for some seconds, caught off guards. Usually Wilson’s patients were a mess of tears and they rarely objected to his intrusions. Even if they got angry they just asked his friend to chase him away. This woman instead had a fierce look on her face and there wasn’t any trace of uncertainty in her voice. She was still determinate, considering that she had already been sentenced to death, he had to admit it. “What, are you training your patients to be able to be more aggressive towards me, Jimmy?” He commented sarcastically, turning his attention back to Wilson. “Congratulations. They are getting better. Are you coming now?”

“Don’t tell me you are going to do as this lout asked,” the patient protested indignantly.

The oncologist moved his eyes between his best friend and the woman, unsure about what to do. House wouldn’t have let go until he got what he wanted but he had no intentions of leaving his patient there. He sighed again, grabbed his wallet and threw it at the diagnostician. “Go and buy the food, I’ll reach you as soon as I’m done here,” he said firmly. “I’m busy now.”

The older man caught the object and shot him a fake offended glance. “How cruel. Forcing your crippled friend to carry two trays!” He claimed almost pouting. “Who are you? What have you done to my nice, lovely and caring James?”

“You meant “ _sickeningly_ nice, lovely and caring”, my dear Greg. Anyway, James is busy,” the younger talked back sarcastically. “Oh, and you missed _annoying_.”

“Are you done? Please, Dr Wilson, can you tell your boyfriend to go away?” The woman insisted. “I have other business to take care after our appointment.”

James blushed deeply at her assumption. “Ms. Smith, actually he is not…” He started to correct, but House was quicker.

“How annoying you are, Ms. Dreary! A man can’t even come and pick up his partner for a break! I’m leaving you two alone, you won!” He gave up, snorting. Then a malicious smirk opened on his face. “I’ll wait for you downstairs then. Don’t be late, honey!”

“ _House_!” The oncologist shouted, overwhelmed by embarrassment, but the other ignored his and got out of the office. “Damn him!”

“My God, where did you find him? Sorry if I tell you, but he is a real boor!” Ms. Smith stated annoyed. “He’s one of the rudest people I have ever met.”

“Don’t worry, everybody knows he is a bastard, you can say it,” Wilson agreed defeated. “But he is better than you could think, trust me.”

“If you say so. Besides there must be reasons if a kind person like you goes out with that jerk,” she said. And, before the doctor could explain that she got it wrong, she went on: “Can we go back to my treatment now?”

He hesitated but then nodded. He couldn’t put aside a subject like cancer only to explain that House wasn’t his boyfriend. That would have been a totally insensitive behaviour from his part. After all even if she thought they were together it was no harm. And the episode proved that Cameron’s half-joke was true: they really argued like a married couple.

 

The diagnostician was sat at their usual table when the oncologist joined him fifteen minutes later and he was already busy eating his lunch, not without stealing something from the other’s dish from time to time.

“I _hate_ you,” Wilson claimed, dropping into his chair. “When will you stop teasing me? Some stupid jokes are fine, but you have been tormenting me since my discussion with Steven. And all that act in front of my patient! I’m started to get tired of it.”

“Says the man who blushes self-consciously every time I hint something naughty about me and him, and who _enjoyed_ so much sleeping with me last night,” House said mockingly, fully aware of the implications of his own words. “So, Jimmy, should I make some assumptions as your patient did or do you think I’m so naive to let it go?”

Wilson looked away from him, feeling terribly uneasy. “Do as you wish,” he mumbled playing with his food. “You always do, don’t you? Who cares about consequences? It’s not your own business how your behaviour affects the other life after all!”

“Oh, please, don’t start. I’m not in the mood for one of your you-are-a-selfish-bastard-and-you-enjoy-it speeches,” the older man moaned rolling his eyes. “My team has already pissed me off enough for today.”

“What happened?” His best friend asked. It was a chance to change the subject and he was more than glad to take advantage of it.

“I made them test Idiot Number Two for all the viral infections that could cause epilepsy. They ran tests for brain infections, then spent plenty of time considering other stupid ideas since the tests had come out negative,” he explained, his cheerful mood disappearing all at once. “They tested for _Alzheimer_ and _diabetes_! And they didn’t think about testing exanthematous diseases which should have been the first thing to be tested. Those idiots!”

“People tend to do stupid mistakes when they are _tired_. I remind you that their lack of sleep is your fault. Yesterday has been a tough day for them and before Steven’s and Harry’s cases you made them spent almost three days without sleeping,” the oncologist scolded him. “They made a mistake, but you are responsible for it too.”

“I missed your moralistic attitude, you know?” He grumbled. “That’s exactly what I needed! Thank you, Mr. Righteous! Anyway, they are running the tests for measles and chicken pox right now and soon we will know what’s wrong with that idiot and he will be out of my life.”

“You solved another case and you are about to get rid of two people you can’t stand. You should be happy,” Wilson pointed out. “But you aren’t. Why? It’s obvious that there is something else disturbing you. And don’t say that you are upset because of your team’s mistake. You are pissed with them, and it’s obvious, but normally it wouldn’t affect you so much considering that you have the case solution anyway. It’s just a delay, but you still have almost solved it. Besides, it’s something deeper that simple annoyance.”

“Are you playing the psychologist now? I didn’t know you were so fond of foreplay. We could have fun with that!” House mocked him. Then he turned a little more serious. “I don’t know. I’m missing something about this case.”

“Wait for the tests results, I’m sure they will clarify everything,” the younger said reassuringly. It was rare for his best friend to out his concern so openly, even if it was about work. He smiled. He was glad he had decided to tell him what was wrong instead of deflecting as usual. Maybe he could exploit his being so willing to put an end to all the awkwardness and hints between them. “Listen, why don’t we eat out tonight? Since last night had been ruined by the hospital emergency, I thought that we could reply the evening.”

“Is your cute friend wooing another nurse and has she invited us to the show?” The diagnostician asked maliciously. He was grateful that the other doctor hadn’t commented about him explaining his bad mood. It wasn’t easy for him to express his concerns and Wilson knew it very well.

The younger man shifted on his chair, uncomfortable. There he was. He had to decide if he was ready to reveal out the truth or if he was going to hide again and live with his unspoken unrequited feelings. He could always have asked Sophia for another “double date”, she would have said yes for sure, but it would have been only another delay. Moreover, now that he was no longer busy with the case, House would press even more to find a confirmation to his suspects. He would end up confessing anyway, he was almost sure, so why not take the chance and test their fifteen-years-old friendship the way he wanted for once? The older man had never had any scruples about doing it, so there was nothing wrong if for once he was the one testing those limits. At least, that was what he wanted to believe.

“Uh, well, actually, Sophia covers the night shift today,” he answered in the end, staring at his half full dish, uncertainty well present in his tone. It was nothing so strange after all. They had shared millions of meals together. But he knew that it was different this time, and that the older man knew too. “It would be just the two of us.”

House kept quiet for a while and stared at him for what it felt like hours to him, trying to figure out what there was behind his invitation. He studied the oncologist face cautiously, reading discomfort in his forced smile, worry in his expression and something that seemed fear in his brown eyes that were so stubbornly avoiding him. He could feel the tension running along the other’s body and also in the air between them. It was the time of truth, he realized, Wilson had decided to spit everything out there, in the hospital cafeteria, that was a neutral territory for them both. His best friend had to be convinced that he was at least suspecting what there was behind all that awkwardness and had realised that keeping the truth from him was no longer an intelligent option. He had obtained what he wanted, exactly in the way that Cameron had suggested him. He would have had to thank her later.

However his moment of satisfaction lasted only for a second. Turning his attention back to the present he caught a brief glance from anxiously expecting chocolate irises and suddenly everything made sense. He could almost hear all the pieces clicking together, making him wonder how he could have been so blind. It was _obvious_ , Cameron had immediately understood it after reading his list of “symptoms”. Blushes, discomfort, evasive manners, embarrassment, short patience, at the same time fear and longing for small contacts, strange looks, what had almost happened the previous evening at the pub. It took all his willpower not to hit himself or laugh and to keep blank expression. His dear Boy Wonder had a big crush on his best friend, on _him_. He could have teased him endlessly. He bit back an amused smirk, trying to focus on the current situation. He needed to confirm his epiphany and there was only a way to do it. He had to play along with the other.

“Are you asking me out?” He inquired in a neutral tone. The question came suddenly, breaking the tensed silence that had ruled the table for some minutes. His voice was completely emotionless. No hint of mocking or irritation or disbelief. Nothing.

“I…” Wilson stuttered biting the inside of his cheek. He had hoped to get some reaction, just to understand how the diagnostician felt about the whole issue. Instead the other’s face was wearing no clue, leaving the choice completely to him. He couldn’t back out now, he had already gone too far. He could still deny with House, but he was sure he would have regretted it as soon as he had been alone. It made no sense waiting more time. It wouldn’t have made things easier and it wouldn’t have changed House’s reaction. That moment, another day, other weeks, maybe even another year. It would have always been the same. Why wasting more time tormenting himself then? He couldn’t avoid the inevitable.

He breathed out slowly and finally met the older man’s eyes. He took another moment to admire them. If they had asked him what part of House he liked most he would have chosen those beautiful cerulean globes without any hesitation. They carried inside everything that characterized his best friend. His sharp instinct, his cold genius, the always present note of obscure melancholy that was wrapped around his figure, his strength and his pain, his biting sarcasm, the crude and pessimistic realism that dominated his view of their reality. He could have stared at them forever, he had always thought that, since the first time his own eyes had met them in New Orleans.

He shook his head, forcing himself to stop daydreaming and to focus on what he was about to do. “Well, _yes_. I’m…asking you out, House. For…For that damned date you have been joking about so often lately,” he claimed, trying to keep his voice steady, staring directly at the other. He had said it aloud. Now he just had to face the consequences.

The diagnostician kept quiet for a long time, without moving or changing expression, making James holding his breath in anxiety. Had he screwed up everything, destroyed that friendship that was the only real relationship he had ever had? Had he lost his best friend, the most important person in his life? Was House mad? Surprised? _Disgusted_? Had he taken him seriously? Did he think it was just a nasty joke? Was he considering what to say? Was he going to be as nice as he could be, to act as a friend and try to accept his feelings? Was he going to reject him, yell at him, insult him, chase him away forever? Or was he going to say _yes_?

Then, out of the blue, House did the only thing Wilson wasn’t expecting him to do. He burst into laughter, apparently being more than amused. “Oh god, _Wilson_!” He exclaimed after a moment, panting a little. “That was the worst love confession I have ever heard!”

The oncologist was so taken aback that he couldn’t bring himself to feel offended for being mocked in such a delicate predicament. He couldn’t remember the last time he had heard his best friend laughing that heartily when sober, but he was sure it was before the infarction. He blushed deeply and looked away feeling stupid but also trying to hide the smile that had opened on his lips. “Gee, thanks, House,” he grumbled. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

“What were you expecting me to do? To freak out and cry? To yelled at you to stay away?” The diagnostician asked with his usual sarcastic tone. “ _You_ are Mr. Emotional, not me, don’t forget it!”

“How could I have been so crazy to think that you would have showed some tact?” James said with a bitter chuckle. “My bad. At least you haven’t freaked out.”

“Yeah, and I have no intention to. You’ll never learn, Jimmy.”

The silence fell between them once again, but this time it was one of their usual comfortable silences, free from tension and anxiety. House turned his attention to his almost forgot meal and took a mouthful, lost in thought. What was he going to do now? He hadn’t thought about it when he had decided to find out what Wilson was hiding. They couldn’t just forget about it now. Cameron had warned him about thinking if he was ready to hear what Wilson had to say, but he had stubbornly ignored her as always. Maybe if he had given himself the time to think he would have understood sooner what was going on and he might have known how to react. Instead now he was stuck with an issue that was far from his safe ground and he had to deal with it. His best friend’s feelings didn’t make him uncomfortable, that wasn’t a problem at all. On the contrary, they made sense because they explained the deep level of care that the other felt for him. He could tell that they had likely been there for a long time, even if Wilson wasn’t aware of them.

The question was another. What about him? Could it be that things were the same for him too? He cared deeply for the younger man, their bond was the most important he had ever had in his life and the strongest he had ever managed to build. Even when he was still with Stacy he had been close to Wilson, maybe a little bit too close even for best friends. The oncologist was the only person who had seen and lived every aspect of his personality and that had willingly followed him into the depth of his misery, stubbornly refusing to let him drown. And he was the only person House had allowed to stay and see those things. That idiot was ready to sacrifice everything for him, he had proved it more than once and he honestly didn’t know how he could have managed to survive some periods of his life without having his best friend by his side. He was a steady presence in his life and he had realised how much he needed him, even if it was hard for him to admit it even with himself. He liked to think that he was completely independent, that he didn’t need the others, but he had to confess that sometimes even he had been forced to look for some help to keep going and he had always found Wilson’s hand outstretched for him.

His thoughts went to the most significant moments they had shared and then to few hours they had spent sleeping on the couch that night. Personal space had never been an issue between them, they had always forgotten about it quite easily, even if they had never gone for a real contact. A pat on the shoulder, some random touches while walking side by side or watching TV, knees meeting accidentally under the table while eating, maybe just a comforting hand lingering a little too longer. He wasn’t fond of physical contact and Wilson had always respected that. Yet they had been speaking to each other more by actions and glances than by words. It was like they had a secret code that only the two of them could understand. He wasn’t lying all the way when he had told Cuddy about their telepathy thing that morning. And he had to admit that it had been nice waking up with the oncologist so close to him, holding his waist with an arm and using him as a sort of pillow for his leg. It had felt _natural_ , and he would have gladly done it again.

“So, are you going to tell me the whole story now?” He asked in the end, breaking the silence. His voice was light, but there was no mockery in it. “I really want to know how we had got stuck in this mess.”

Wilson sighed and nodded. There were no more reasons to keep the secret now, even concerning his promise to Steven’s. He was sure that House would have kept quiet about that. At most he would have teased him for it while in private. Besides, his best friend deserved to know since he had been tactful, in his own way. “Well, I’m not even sure myself. It started after I talked to Steven,” he began, playing with the food in his plate. “Do you remember that I told you I thought he was in a confused mental state? Well, I knew that because we were talking and he started feeling dizzy and ended up kissing me. He was as shocked as I was. That thing made me feel really distressed and I couldn’t fight the discomfort away. That’s why I freaked out with you. I felt confused and I couldn’t understand what had got into me, why I was feeling so much distressed.” He didn’t need to say what they were talking about. He glanced at the diagnostician and he could have sworn he had made a face when he had mentioned the kiss. “Then, in the morning, when I found Sophia at your place…Well, she was right, I got jealous, only that at the moment I hadn’t realised it yet. Actually, I was also when she flirted with you when you met in my office the previous day.”

He sighed, pausing his speech for a moment. Thinking back about it all now, he really couldn’t understand why it had taken him so long to put the pieces together. The facts had been there, lay out for him to see, and yet he had been incredibly blind until they hadn’t been rubbed against his face. “She came to my office later in the day to apologize,” he resumed, licking his lips lightly. “She said something before leaving…She told me she was starting to understand why I loved you in spite of everything. I hadn’t the time to speculate about it because Cuddy called me in her office because you told her I was acting weird. I went there, she asked me if I was OK and then we talked a bit and she made a joke about the fact I had either to be a saint or to be madly in love with you to be able to stand you as I do. You should have heard it since you were eavesdropping. I think I got something similar to your epiphanies when she said that. And I had the confirmation when I found myself wanting to kiss you and almost doing it yesterday at the pub.”

He stopped again for a moment, rubbing his neck. Spitting everything out was turning out to be much easier than he had thought. He felt a little lighter at each word, as if he was gradually getting rid of a heavy burden. “I couldn’t deny it anymore. And…well, me in love with you makes awfully sense. At the beginning, I thought there was no way I was telling you. But then I realised that you had already caught something and Cameron made me think about the fact we have been friends for almost fifteen years and that it should have meant something. She hinted I wasn’t going to ruin our friendship if I told you…And here I am. I’m an idiot who has fallen in love with his crazy best friend, likely several years ago. I really deserve another huge dose of mocking and I can’t complain.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, I’ll make sure to give you your _daily_ dose of mockery and sexual harassment,” House smirked evilly. That he put on an over dramatic expression and exclaimed, keeping his voice low enough not to be heard by the people around them: “Wait! My best friend is _gay_ for me! Oh my god! I’m _shocked_! Even if with the hairdryer thing, the fancy clothes and all your care about appearances and cleanness should have made me wonder even without you coming out to me.”

“What is that supposed to mean? I don’t act gaily,” the oncologist protested, sounding offended. “I like being in order. And I’m _not_ gay, just for the report. I still like women! I’m bisexual if you want to call me something.”

“Yeah, in order…Flatter yourself!” The older man mocked. “You still like me, and I was a male last time I checked. Wanna check for me?”

Wilson turned bright red, but before he could answer the diagnostician’s pager biped. “I guess your team has the results,” he stated, deciding not to retort.

“Yep! Come on, let’s go and see who the winner is. I bet on chicken pox!” The other stated enthusiastically, getting up and heading towards the elevator as quickly as his leg allowed him.

James sighed and followed almost immediately. “So…are we OK?” He asked as they crossed the hall, his voice dripping with hope. He couldn’t believe that House was acting so at ease after his confession. He knew his friend didn’t care at all about sexual orientation and always state that sex was sex, no matter who your partner was. But he had thought that things could have been a little different since the matter involved them both personally. “I mean, if you need some time away from me to get used to…”

“Wilson, shut up and try not to be an idiot for once,” the older man snorted, glaring at him. “If I had wanted some time away from you, would I have asked you to come with me now? I don’t think so” He got into the elevator and waited for the doors to close before speaking again. “I haven’t freaked out, and I’m not going to. I don’t care if you are gay, bisexual or whatever you want. I’ve never care about people’s sexual orientation and I don’t have any intention to start to do it now, especially with my best friend. Then, after all I’ll always been the one who harasses you, so I don’t have to worry about being assaulted. If I have to tell the truth, I actually find your discovery _interesting._ ” He enjoyed the shocked expression that appeared on Wilson’s face, but he went on before the other could manage to say something. “So, what time tonight? I’d suggest that we go as soon as I’m done with the case and you with that useless paperwork!”

“If you did your paperwork sometimes, you should know that it’s not so useless,” the oncologist managed to say, still too astonished by what his best friend was saying to him. He really couldn’t see where he wanted to arrive. He cleared his throat, trying to calm himself down as they got out in the corridor. “But…Does…Does it mean that you are accepting to go out with me?”

“I’ve said we are spending the evening out together,” House corrected, smirking maliciously. “Don’t become too full of yourself, Boy Wonder. You still have to work on your goal to get it. Now, get in and witness at my newest victory.”

James shook his head, confused, but didn’t dare to question further. It would have been useless, House wasn’t going to give him any further explanation. He had to wait to get a clear answer. He opened the door of the conference room letting his friend in and the close it behind his back.

Cameron, Foreman and Chase were already there and they were all wearing a worried look. The diagnostician stared at them, immediately guessing what they were going to say. He was right, he was still missing something.


	13. Epiphany

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everybody!
> 
> Here am I with the new chapter!
> 
> So, after this we have only two other chapters left and then I'll be finished with this story. I'm a bit sad about it, I was having so much fun writing! But I', happy I'll actually succeed in writing the whole thing!
> 
> I guess the title says everything! We almost have the solution of both the issues of the story...I hope you'll like it! Let me know what you think!
> 
> Thanks a lot to all the readers!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> Note: Eventual slash (House/Wilson), don't like, don't read please!

**Chapter 13 - _Epiphany_**

Cameron smiled softly behind his mask as she checked Steven’s IV. “How are you feeling?” She asked putting a gloved hand on his forehead. “Your fever seemed to have got higher again.”

“Well, I’m not in the shape for the next marathon at the moment, Allison,” the man joked, laughing quietly. “But I’m alive. What’s going on now? Why have you put me into isolation?”

“We think you have some kind of infection that has attacked your brain, but we still haven’t found out which one. We had a very good hypothesis but the tests were negative,” she explained carefully. “We’re following the protocol. House is persuaded that whatever you have is not normally dangerous, but we still have to avoid the disease-spreading.”

“I see. So I won’t be allowed to see Harry for a while.”

“I’m sorry. We can’t take that risk. He is still recovering and because of his disease he had to be very careful about his health.”

“I understand. You are totally right. We’ll make up for the lost time as soon as we’ll be discharged. Where is he now?”

“Physiotherapy. His physician told me he is a very motivated patient. She is really proud of him. He is tough.”

Steven nodded smiling. “When he decides he must do something, he puts heart and soul in it. That’s how he is. And it’s one of the reasons why I love him so much.”

Chase entered the room in that moment, carrying new IV sacks. “Hey, Steven!” He greeted with a smile. “How are you doing?”

“I’m not dead yet, Dr Chase,” the patient answered. “And I trust you not to let me. Besides Dr Cameron’s pleasant company always help my mood.”

“Well, she has this unique gift. Caring and sweet personality together with a likeable and sexy appearance,” he winked at the immunologist. “What else could we desire?”

The woman hid the delight those compliments gave her and helped her colleague to change the drip-feed. “Your flattery is shameless, Chase,” she commented glaring at him. “If you are trying to obtain something from me you’ve better try harder. I won’t fall for some compliments. I’m not that easy.”

“Can’t a man compliment a friend about his beauty?” He complained, opening his arms and turning towards Steven. “Why do women must see a by-end every time a man does something nice for them?”

“Let’s call it feminine intuition,” Cameron smiled amused. “And it is never wrong.”

“I have to agree with Dr Cameron, when they have those feelings of theirs they are hardly wrong,” Steven commented chuckling. “But I still believe Dr Chase when he says that his compliments were gratuitous” He started to cough. “May I have a glass of water?”

“Oh sure!” the woman nodded and quickly left the room.

“She is a nice woman and a wonderful person. You are lucky to know her,” the patient commented, as soon as the immunologist was out of the room. “And you two work really well together. You have affinity even if it takes a deep look to notice it.”

“Yeah, she is great. In every sense. I enjoy a lot working with her, even if at times she is not the easiest person to deal with,” the Australian answered. He sighed. “As for the affinity, I’m not really sure we are so close. I’d like to, but she doesn’t agree with me about it. And I have to respect her decision. I will never force her into anything.”

Steven seemed to notice his discomfort because he quickly let it go. “Don’t give up, Dr Chase. You could be surprised.” He smiles at Chase’s grateful glance. “Where is Dr Foreman, by the way?” He asked looking at the glass wall and changing the subject. “He came in this morning for the samples and I haven’t seen him since then.”

“Foreman is repeating some of the tests we have run. Just to be sure,” the blond explained. “You see, House seemed so sure he was right about them. He even scolded us because we hadn’t run them sooner. And he is almost never wrong when he is so persuaded. We need to make sure we haven’t made some mistake while testing. No matter if we have already repeated the exams more than once.”

“I see. I’m sorry you got scold because of me.”

“It’s not your fault. We had run out those illnesses because you don’t show their main trait, but you can never be sure about how a disease presents. House is right, we should have run those tests since it was the most fitting diagnosis.”

“What kind of trait? Maybe I’ve noticed it but I haven’t told you about it because I didn’t think it was important.”

“A rash. We have checked your body. You don’t have anything similar, so don’t worry.”

The door opened once again and Cameron got in, carrying the water. She handed it to Steven and turned towards Chase.

“Cuddy wants to see us,” she announced. “Foreman paged me to meet them in her office. It will take a few minutes.”

“Why haven’t he paged me?” The Australian asked, checking his pager.

“He must have assumed we were together,” she offered shrugging.

“Yeah, right,” he mumbled. Then he turned towards the patient. “We’ll be right back, Steven. The great boss is calling for us.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” the latter nodded. “Thanks for everything.”

The two doctors left the room, eager to know what Cuddy wanted from them. Maybe she was concerned about the safety of her hospital. That was her duty after all. Or perhaps she was going to unload her frustration on them since she hadn’t been able to scold House as she would have had.

Foreman was already there when they reached the door of the office. “How is the patient?” He questioned as he saw them approaching. “Cuddy told me to wait for her here.”

“He is still OK, conscious and talkative, even if his fever is getting higher,” Cameron answered. “We need to cure him before he gets worse again.”

“What about the tests?” Chase asked. “And do you know what Cuddy wants from us? If she is speaking with us and not with House there must be a reason.”

“Nothing new. We haven’t made mistakes. They are negative because our idea was wrong,” the neurologist said dryly. “About Cuddy, I have no clue. Maybe she is afraid to disturb House’s brainstorming and thinks that _we_ can be disturbed without consequences instead.”

They couldn’t discuss the matter any further because the clicking of the Dean’s heels made them turned in that moment. The woman joined them and opened the door to let them in.

“So, how is your patient doing? They told me you still don’t know what’s wrong with him,” she asked, sitting at her desk and facing them.

“He is holding out. He has a viral infection but we are still testing him to understand what exactly he has,” Foreman explained. “House forbade us to give him the steroids because he wants to find out which infection is. He hopes that if the patient gets worse we will be able to discover some new symptoms that would give him the answer.”

“We have protested but he didn’t listen to us,” Cameron added as she noticed the scold forming on Cuddy’s face. “So we gave him small doses of steroids, enough to keep him stable.”

“And is it working?” The woman questioned again, sceptical.

“We still don’t know. We are controlling him closely to see if something changes,” Chase answered crossing his arms. “His fever got a little higher but it’s nothing we need to worry about.”

“And the crises?”

“He is under anticonvulsants.”

“But they didn’t prevent him from having two seizures one of which sent him on the operating table, did they?” The Dean of medicine sighed. “I know as well as you how House works. But he is risking the patient’s life just to know something that is not necessary to know to cure him. I’m not willing to risk only for the sake of his curiosity.”

“We aren’t either. But if you could give him some more time I’m sure he’ll figure it out,” the immunologist objected. “Besides, if we know what type of infection he has we could be more specific with the treatments and the safety measures.”

“We have already put him in isolation just to be sure, but it’s probably not endemic and even if it is not so harmful,” the Australian said, supporting his colleague.

Cuddy stared at them for a while, then nodded. “OK. I’ll give you two hours. If House can’t figure out his puzzle when the time is up, you’ll treat the patient with the steroids and it will be the end of the games. Understood? By the way, where is your boss?”

“Yeah. We’ll do as you say,” Foreman accepted. “The last time we saw him he kicked us out of the office because he needed to think, but by now he will surely be or out on the balcony or in Wilson’s office trying to get a brainwave.”

“Good. You can go now.”

The three doctors nodded and got out of the office, heading towards their patient’s room. House wasn’t going to be happy about her ultimatum.

 

“This is _impossible_. I was certain it was either measles or chicken pox. It was perfect!” House almost growled, kicking the leg of his chair. He still couldn’t believe he had got it wrong. “That guy is a teacher and I bet that some of his students have a younger sibling. Considering what I got to understand about him, I’m sure he is one of those teachers who like to meet his pupils’ family!”

“You were also sure it was just stress and a cold. Besides he doesn’t have the typical rash that characterizes those illnesses,” Wilson pointed out without looking away from his reports. “Come on, have you ever seen someone with measles or chicken pox without a rash?”

They were in the oncologist’s office. After the teams had announced that the results were negative, the diagnostician had thrown everybody out of the room, saying he needed space and silence to think. But after having spent almost an hour locked in his office with the white-board in front of him, he had given up and sought refuge in the company of his friend, hoping the other could help him to have an epiphany somehow. It usually worked.

“I’ve seen stranger things than a rash that doesn’t appear. Should I remember you why I take cases usually?” He retorted. “Luckily for you not all my patients have a passion for kidnapping people’s best friends or attacking the hospital with fake weapons.”

“Touché,” the younger man gave up. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you were wrong.”

“Gee, do you really have to pour salt into the wound? You’re not helping at all!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. You usually want me to talk so you can get your miracle and I’m doing it.”

“Well, you are really poor at it today. And they are not miracles, it’s just my gifted brain putting the right pieces together.” House sounded almost offended from that definition of his epiphanies. “There’s no mysterious, powerful creature behind them. Apart from _me_ , obviously.”

“This case is making you touchy, isn’t it? You’re being more _modest_ than your usual,” Wilson smiled, quite amused by his best friend’s fool mood. “I’m so tempted to mock you!”

“Don’t. I’m not in the right mood to stand your poor jokes,” the other warned. “But you are right, this case is annoying. I need more pills. Write me a prescription.”

“But your bottle is still half full!” He protested, finally looking at him. “I thought the whole Tritter’s affair had taught you something.”

“It seems it hadn’t. Are you monitoring my Vicodin by chance?” House questioned suspiciously. “Don’t tell me Cuddy has asked you to do such a stupid thing and that you have been so idiotic to accept!”

“I’m not. Only, it’s quite difficult not to notice how many you have with you swallowing the drugs in front of me so often!” Wilson stated. “But I’m still not writing you a prescription. I have no intention to help your addiction.”

The diagnostician got up from the chair and approached the desk, going around it and placing himself next to the oncologist. “Come on, Jimmy! My leg _hurts_!” He whined. “And I’m running out of pills at home! You don’t know how bitchy it can be during the night.”

“Ah, fine. You won! But you’ll have to wait next week for the next one,” the younger surrounded, exasperated, writing down what he was asked and handing it to him. “I hate it when you start complaining about your leg. I can’t tell if you’re lying just to get for more drugs or if you are truly in pain.”

“I’m always in pain,” he reminded his best friend, his tone getting gloomy. “So, I can do both things at the same time without really lying at you.”

Wilson dropped his eyes, feeling guilty. He shouldn’t have said those things. He was painfully aware of the diagnostician never-ending suffering, but at time the other acted so normally that he almost forgot about it and couldn’t avoid suspecting that it was his addiction and not his pain speaking. House was right, they could easily be both, but the pain was never quiet behind those requests. He put down his pen and stood up, facing the other doctor and trying to ignore the dizzy feeling he was getting from being only a step apart from him.

“Sorry,” he whispered quietly with a sigh. “I’ve said something really stupid. But you can’t blame me too much. You yourself had admitted you are an addict. And you also know I can’t help getting worried about you.”

“Yeah, I know you are an idiot. Nothing new,” the older man grumbled, but there weren’t signs of annoyance in his voice. He fluttered the prescription cracking a satisfied smirk. “Besides, I’ve got what I wanted.”

James sighed and shook his head, hiding a smile. “Yeah, you always do. I can’t get why, but you far too often obtain everything you want from me,” he complained jokingly. “I should be stricter with you. I spoil you too much.”

“Oh, but you can’t help yourself, Jimmy. You love me too much.” The diagnostician’s smirk widened. “And, after the recent developments, I dare to say you do it _literally_.”

The oncologist snorted, trying to ignore the fact that he was blushing once again. He looked for a smart answer, but he couldn’t find anything. His mind was racing. Had House got closer or had he imagined it? And what was that strange look he was giving him? He suddenly realized that the room was getting hotter. Or was just his body reacting to his friend’s closeness? He nervously tugged the collar of his T-shirt. Was that bastard messing up with him once again?

Wilson gulped quietly and forced himself to meet the other’s eyes, ready to ask him what was going on and tell him to quit it, but as soon as he did it he felt his breath be taken away. Those gorgeous irises were awfully close to him and they seemed to erase everything else, as the world around them had disappeared. He felt his heart beating becoming quicker, _harder_ , and he was unable to look away, lost in those eyes he loved so much. He wanted, no, he _needed_ to get even closer, to cover the small distance between them, to feel House’s body against his own, to touch him, to taste him. And he needed it now.

He acted by instinct, not really aware of what he was doing until he felt his lips pressing gently but demanding against the older man’s, eyes shut. He felt the diagnostician immediately freeze under his touch and he panicked, thinking he had ruined everything, that he had just thrown away fifteen years of friendship for a moment of weakness. But his anxiety quickly melted away as he felt House kissing him back, his arms tightening around his waist. His heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t believe that it was happening. He had to be dreaming.

James barely had had the time to acknowledge the fact that the object of his desires was answering more positively than he had aver hope when the chaste and tentative kiss they were exchanging turned without warning in something far more aggressive. He felt House’s hands quickly creeping under his T-shirt and starting roaming on his back. He couldn’t help moaning against his bets friend’s mouth and the latter immediately took advantage of his parted lips, slipping his tongue in his mouth and deepening the kiss.

House was shocked by what they were doing. He had got closer to Wilson just to embarrass him, but he hadn’t expected the younger man to kiss him. At first, he had found himself too astonished to move, but he wasn’t disgusted or anything similar. It wasn’t his fist experience with a man, he had never made any different about the gender of his partner when it came to sex. Pleasure was always pleasure, not matter how you got it. He just wasn’t expecting that reaction. Then he had felt his body reacting to the oncologist’s warm lips and without too much of thinking he had grabbed his hips, pulling him closer and kissing him back lightly. A spark of lust had lighted up inside him at that gentle contact and he had found himself wanting more. He carelessly dropped his cane and pushed his hands under Wilson’s clothes, longing to explore the smooth skin hidden under them, while deepening the kiss. He felt the younger man’s fingers in his hair and on his face, caressing with the same passion he was putting in his touches. He pushed Wilson against the desk, leaning against him for support and enjoying the delicious sounds the other was making. Their flesh pressed together was the only thing he could think about.

Both his heart and mind were racing, his body responding to impulses he hadn’t felt in a long time, since when he was still with Stacy. At the same time, however, it was different. This was Wilson, his very _male_ best friend, the person who had stood by his side for the longest time, his conscience, his good side he dared to say. There was a companionship, a silent understanding between them that he had never experience with his former girlfriend. It was as exciting, as stimulating as it had been with her, but there was something more. It was a solid ground, it felt _safer_ , more comfortable, but it also had the taste of something forbidden and he couldn’t get enough of it. It was like breaking the rules and he loved doing it. He was thrilled. Wilson was so damn right, it… _they_ awfully made senses.

They broke away several minutes later, gasping for air. The oncologist face was flushed with both embarrassment and a tingle of arousal and his usual neatly combed hair was a mess. House chuckled at the sight, licking his slight swollen lips, his hands still resting on the edge of the other’s jeans, suggestively playing with his belt.

Wilson grabbed his best friend’s wrists and pulled his arms away from him. “I’m not letting you have your way with me here and now,” he announced firmly. “I don’t even know why you have done… _that_. I’m not complaining but…We need to talk about this.” He was avoiding the eye contact, still too confused and afraid to find out that it had been just a game. He wanted to let himself hope for a bit. “I don’t want to be a mean to satisfy your curiosity.”

“ _Talk_? You want to talk?” House repeated incredulous. “I’m not giving you all that romantic crap that you say to your dates. Besides, I thought that actions spoke louder than words. At least, it has always been like that between us. I don’t get why this time should be different. So, quit acting like a prim virgin, because we both know you are not, and don’t ask me stupid questions.”

James gaped at him, lifting his eyes, seeking for the slight sign of sarcasm or mockery. There was none. “Are you…Are you saying you want to…to…” He stuttered, unable to believe to what he had just heard and to its hidden but obvious implications. He cleared his throat, trying to calm down and feeling ridiculously happy. “Are you saying you want to give it…me… _us_ a try?”

The older man rolled his eyes. “Are you done playing Capitan Obvious?” He asked impatiently. “Or do you really want me to answer your idiotic question?”

“Thank God, your sarcasm and bastard-attitude are back. I was getting worried,” the oncologist laughed resting his arms around the other’s neck. “Well, it would be nice if you did, but I know you and I’m not going to ask you to do it.”

“Great! That’s what I wanted to hear,” House cheered up. “Now, let’s go back to the interesting things.” And without waiting for an answer he attacked James’s lips once again, his hands going back to the edge of the other’s jeans once again.

“House!” The latter protested, blushing. “Don’t…”

“Come on, Jimmy!” He pressed leaving his lips for nibbling his neck. “Relax!”

“No… _Greg_! Wait!” The younger man yelped trying to push him away gently. “Stop!”

“What _now_?!” The diagnostician exclaimed irritated. “You kissed me and I kissed you back. I told you I’m not playing a prank or some sort of experiment on you and we both obviously want this. I don’t see the problem!”

“I was serious when I told you I wasn’t going to let you have your way with me in my _office_. I still mean it,” Wilson explained a bit bothered. “There’s no way we are doing it here the first time. You can tell me I’m a sappy sentimentalist, but we are still _not_ doing it here.”

“It means that if I let you have your romance, you’ll give me also some hot office sex in the future?” The older man asked with a malicious grin, as he tried to sneak his hands under his T-shirt again. “I could accept if that is the deal. And if you promise me that we’ll have our time on Cuddy’s desk as well.”

“We’ll see. But don’t hope too much about the Cuddy’s desk thing.” The oncologist blushed slightly and grabbed his wrists once again. “Can we slow down a little? I know how much you love sex and that maybe you haven’t met up with your hookers recently since you have been busy working, but…Why do you always have to rush things? I’ve never been with a guy and I’d like to have the time to adapt to this, to wait until it feels a little _lighter_ on me.”

The diagnostician stopped suddenly, his gaze lost in the void. Then he slowly let go his best friend and bent down to take his cane.

James shot him a glance and sighed. “Don’t tell me, you just got that epiphany,” he groaned lifting his eyes in defeat. “Damn, I can never finish a conversation with you while you are working on a case. It always ends up like this.”

He watched the older man limping towards the door as if he hadn’t heard it, but he was surprised when he saw him stop by the door and say before leaving: “Wait for me in my office when you are done with that paperwork. You still have to take me out for dinner.”

Wilson shook his head again and went back to his desk, smiling brightly as when back to his reports. That had been an unexpected twist. He had been so worried about the possible negative consequences of his newly discovered feelings and instead he had got the best-case scenario. If it wasn’t for his messy hair, his ruffled clothes and the taste of House’s lips still lingering in his mouth he could have thought it had been an hallucination. Instead it had happened and he was going to feel it again in few hours. He couldn’t help blushing slightly. Actually, knowing the diagnostician, he was going to get much more that evening.

A light knock on his door brought him back to reality. He blinked a couple of time, embarrassed for having allowed his thoughts to rest on that kind of fantasies. He quickly fixed his clothes and hair before telling his guest to come in. The last thing he wanted was someone to find out what he had almost done on his desk.

“James, hey!” Sophia greeted entering the room and closing the door behind her back. “How are you? A nurse told me you have spent last night here!”

“Yeah. House’s patient got worse and I helped Chase with a biopsy of the mass we have found in his brain,” he explained. “I’m sorry we left the pub without warning.”

“Ah, don’t worry. I had imagined you two had an emergency,” she smiled sitting down in front of him. “Listen, James, I’ve come to talk to you about how I have behaved last evening…Since I knew there was no way you were telling House how you feel, I thought that I could help him to figure it out on his own and at the same time pushing him to consider his feelings as well.” She chuckled. “Sorry if I tell you but at times you two are quite obvious. I started to suspect something even before I met Greg, from the things you told me about you two. And spending the night at his place has been quite…enlightening.”

“You’re telling me you have already seen this coming when I still had no clue,” James laughed quietly. “You are incredible.”

“Let’s say I know what it means because I have experienced it before you,” she nodded patting his hand. “It took me months to figured out what I was feeling the first time I got a crush on a girl. It’s not easy, I know it. But, tell me, how are things going?”

“Well, you were totally right. Your plan worked wonderfully,” he answered. He hesitated for a moment, feeling self-conscious, but then he took a deep breath and told her the whole story. The intensivist listened to him with great interest, smirking and commenting playfully from time to time, but her face clearly showed how glad she was for him.

“You charmer! I didn’t think you could be so bold. Kissing him out of the blue! I wish I was there when you did it,” she exclaimed in the end madly grinning. “And you two have a date tonight! He’ll devour you, I’m sure of it. If you hadn’t stopped him, he would have taken you then and there.” She hummed. “ _That_ would have been interesting…”

“Sophia!” He exclaimed, flushing with embarrassment. “Keep those comments for yourself, please. House’s ones are more than enough. And I’m going to hear a lot of them from now on.” He rubbed his neck. “But I have to confess I’m quite nervous about tonight. I’ve never done anything…with a man, I mean. I don’t know what to expect and how to act. And there’s no way I’m convincing him to wait.”

“He’ll get what he wants for sure, but he’ll go easy on you. He cares about you and you know it,” the intensivist said, reassuringly. “He won’t force you! You just have to relax and let it happen. Listen to your feelings and everything will go as it is supposed to be.”

“Uhm, I guess so,” he mumbled, not convinced.

“I bet thirty bucks that you’ll enjoy the whole thing! _A lot,_ ” she claimed crossing her arms. “I can’t offer more at the moment because I’m saving up. I want to go to Japan on holiday!”

“Nice. Send me some postcards,” he half joked. Then smiled, offering his hand. “Deal.”

She winked at him. “Can’t wait to have your money in my wallet!”


	14. Making sense, somehow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody!
> 
> So this is the second to last chapter...next one will be the epilogue of the story! So, in this one we finally see the answer to the medical mystery and then House and Wilson's "date" (if it can be called like that!). As for the medical detail, once again I wanted to remind you that I'm not a doctor, so I quite invented a little...Even I made some researches and it's not totally impossible! Considering that Steven is House's patient...
> 
> Thanks to all the readers!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> Note: slash (House/Wilson), don't like, don't read please! In the second half of the chapter there is a some lemon (nothing explicit), but I warned you!

**Chapter 14 - _Making sense, somehow_**

House entered his patient’s room shoving his cane against the glass and startling all those presents. His team immediately turned towards him and Foreman almost let go the glass he was holding.

“House! You should wear at least a mask!” Cameron exclaimed, recovering from her surprise. “We don’t know what…”

“We know instead. And I don’t need it. I’ve already contracted his illness when I was a child,” he interrupted rudely. Then he turned towards Steven. “You are a _loser_!” He stated solemnly. “You could have died for one of the most _stupid_ illnesses on the planet. You should stop babysitting your students’ little sibling!”

“How do you know I do it?” Mitchell asked astonished.

“You have one of their illnesses, the ones that get dangerous only if you catch them during adulthood,” he explained mockingly. “I admitted I haven’t guessed immediately which one because I didn’t think you were so unlucky. I mean, you’re an idiot and your best friend is almost terminally ill, who would think that you are dying because you have contracted rubella? Come on, the universe must _hate_ you!”

“Rubella?” Chase asked perplexed. “I didn’t know it could cause epilepsy and everything else.”

“It’s extremely rare, but it can. And in the twenty five percent of cases the patient doesn’t show exanthem. You surely have noticed that his sub occipital and posterior cervical lymph nodes are swollen. The virus has attacked his brain and done the whole mess.” He turned, showing his intention to leave. “If you want run a test to confirm it. Meanwhile give him corticosteroids and treat his symptoms. He’ll be fine. I’m done here. I have no more reasons to bear those annoying idiots. What a relief!”

“Thanks, Dr House!” Steven exclaimed as he reached the door. “I knew you would have found out what was wrong. I owe you my life.”

“Don’t get sentimental with me. It’s useless and made me sick,” the diagnostician snorted, getting out. “I only solved a puzzle.”

“Don’t mind him, he is always like that,” Foreman stated, shooting a glance to his boss. “You’ll soon be fine. I’m going to get your meds.”

Cameron smiled brightly. “Foreman is right. But he cares, even if he doesn’t want to show it,” she nodded. “You have to see how much distressed he gets when he can’t see the solution and his patients get worse. He is not as cold-hearted as he wants you to believe.”

“Yeah, but he is a bastard, sure as hell,” Chase added grinning. “He says he functions better this way. Emotional involvement makes him a worse doctor.”

“Well, I’m glad he is such a jerk then,” Mitchell joked laughing. “When will I be able to see Harry? I need to tell him something.”

“In few hours. We need to wait for the drugs to make effect,” the immunologist answered. “Is it what I think?”

“Yeah. We both almost faced death. It made me understand that you were right, Allison,” he confirmed. “It’s worth a try. And I don’t want to waste more time keeping it from him.”

She patted his arm and smiled again. “Good luck. I’m sure everything will be alright.”

Chase stared at them a bit confused, but didn’t dare to ask. They had to be talking about the subject of a previous conversation. “I’m telling your friend the good news, if you don’t mind,” he offered. “He was getting crazy because we forbid him to visit you.”

“I’ll be grateful if you do, Dr Chase” the polite answer was.

“No prob. I leave you with Dr Cameron.” He turned towards his co-worker. “Foreman should be back soon with the steroids. He must have gone to tell Cuddy the news so she’ll stop being on our backs. It’s irritating!”

Cameron chuckled and nodded in agreement. “I’ll join you later, when I’m done here. We still have a break to catch up.”

The blond smiled knowingly. “I’ll wait for you in the locker room then, so we can leave together,” he said. He turned to Steven. “I wish you the best.”

The other two watched him leaving and after some moment of silence the patient commented: “He really is a nice guy.”

“Yeah, he is,” the immunologist smiled a bit. “He is a good colleague. I like working with him.”

“I can see that. There’s some sort of harmony between you two.” He didn’t elaborate but shot her a meaningful glance as he had done with Chase earlier.

She thought of denying for a moment, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. So she just kept silent and busied herself with his file, but her were thoughts fixed on the figure of her colleague.

 

Later in the afternoon, Cuddy entered the already open office door, she found House getting ready to leave. He was busy gathering some papers and waiting for his computer to shut down.

“I’ve heard you solved your case,” she stated from the threshold. “Congratulations.”

“Yeah, I’ve diagnosed two idiots in three days,” he answered without looking up. “Cool, isn’t it? I’m proud of myself. What are you doing here? Do you want to offer yourself as a prize for doing my job?”

“You wish I was,” she chuckled crossing her arms. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Too bad. I’ll come to terms with it!” He mentally smirked. He could mess up with her head and have some fun while waiting for Wilson to come and pick him up. “I have a date tonight. That will help me to overcome your rejection.” He enjoyed her shocked expression. If she only knew. “It even could put me in a good mood, you know?”

The Dean’s face turned from surprised into irritated. She most likely thought he was pulling her leg. “Yeah, sure. And how much does this hooker cost to you?” She sarcastically talked back.

“Oh, you hurt me! You can’t really believe that somebody asked me out, can you?” He said in a fake offended tone. “But don’t worry, your twins will always be my favourites.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, my breast is glad to know.”

“Does that mean that I can touch?”

“Do it and you will spend a month doing Clinic duty.”

“I’d rather not.”

The room grew silent. The diagnostician went back to what he was doing and Cuddy simply stood where she was, studying him intently. He seemed his normal self, with his sarcasm, his mockery and his tendency to sexually harass her, but she could feel something different, lighter in his ways. She didn’t dare to think he looked happy, it would have been an exaggeration, but he for sure was less miserable and more peaceful. He was _humming_.

A thought struck her. Could it be that he wasn’t lying about the date? Could it be that somebody had been so insane to ask him out and had convinced him to accept? She blinked, not knowing what to think or how to feel. On the one hand, she was pleased to see him finally a bit more relaxed, he deserved it after all what he had experienced since the infarction. On the other she couldn’t help feeling a little jealous and she wanted to know who this woman who had succeeded where she and the others had failed was. She and House had flirted for years and they even had a one-night encounter while she was still in college, but between them there has always been a friendship with some notes of playful romance. And she was happy with that. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t curious.

House bit back another amused smirk, catching her pensive air. He had succeeded in putting her on tenterhooks. She would have got mad as soon as Wilson would have walked through the door. She would have thought he had been joking. He lingered on that idea. It would have been fun messing up with all the people he knew before actually coming out with the news of their affair. It was a pity that Cameron already knew or she would have gone crazy. But he still had Chase and Foreman to play with. The first would surely be shocked while the second would have said something about the fact he was happier without the picture of the two head physicians busy to make out in his mind. And he was looking forward to seeing all the female nurses freak out at the news that their favourite doctor was no longer on the market. They would have hated him like poison. He couldn’t help but chuckling at the outlook, catching Cuddy’s attention.

“So…who is she?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at his amusement. For some reason, it was making her worried.

“Who is who?” He questioned looking back at her, his expression completely blank.

“The person you are going out with tonight. Do I know her?”

“Why should I tell you? It’s none of your business!”

The woman sighed patiently, going towards the desk. “I know. But I…I’d like to meet her and thank her for having this slight good influence on you,” she explained embarrassed. “You are still an ass and this won’t change, but even now that is your first date you seemed more a _good_ ass, if you see what I mean.”

“Oh, so you want to know who has the power to make me in a slight better mood?” He mocked, his grin finally appearing on his face.

“Yes, I’d really like to.”

He went around the desk and approached her with a conspiratorial air, as if he was going to reveal a secret, and she impulsively leant towards him.

“You see…” He started slowly. He was driving her mad and he was enjoying it. “You know who this person is actually. It’s…”

At that very moment Wilson showed up at the doorstep, carrying his briefcase. “House, are you ready to go?” He asked, shooting Cuddy a questioning glance.

The Dean of Medicine turned towards the older man, her eyes wide with irritation and disbelief. “You tricked me and I was completely taken in!” She shouted. “You bastard! I believe that…that you were serious for once and instead you are just going out with _Wilson_! I should have known!”

“Hope is the last to die,” House claimed solemnly.

Cuddy rolled her eyes and stormed out of the office. “You are impossible!”

James chuckled and shook his head, approaching his best friend. “Why do you always have to mess up with her?” He scolded gently.

The diagnostician grabbed his backpack. “I’ve only told her the truth,” he protested candidly. “It’s not my fault if she didn’t believe me!”

“Of course, House, of course,” the younger man said in a sarcastic tone.

“Hey! You don’t believe me either?” House pouted. “Shouldn’t one trust his sweetheart? I thought you loved me.”

The oncologist sighed exasperated. “Let’s go, you teaser,” he ordered. “I’m getting hungry. I didn’t eat very much at lunch today, as you should know.”

The older man smirked shooting him an alluring glance. “Impatient, aren’t we? Can’t wait for the dessert, _honey_?”

He turned bright red and turned away. “Move your nice ass and quit it,” he said, getting out of the office without waiting an answer.

He heard behind him the cane quickly hitting the ground to match his pace and slowed down out of habit. House reached his side but kept quiet, letting one of their comfortable silence to fall on them. He smiled. Things between them hadn’t changed that much after all.

 

The dinner was delightful, but it wasn’t really different from their usual ones. They went to a pub similar to the one of the previous evening and ate, discussing as they always did. House stole his friend’s food, made random comments about the people around them, gossiped about their co-workers and teased his companion. Wilson listened to him, scolding when necessary, laughed at the jokes, blushed from time to time and returned the mockery. They acted like nothing had happened that afternoon and the oncologist would have thought that the diagnostician was pretending he had forgotten if it wasn’t for knees brushing more than usual, fingers meeting too often to be randomly, touches lingering more than was necessary, long pregnant gazes. Those details told him that they weren’t spending one of their usual nights together and reminded him that there was something new between them that needed to be explored.

They spent about an hour and a half at the place, enjoying the light atmosphere and the mutual company, then the younger man paid, as he always did, and they left. Wilson drove them to House’s place as they had agreed. He wanted to stop at his own place to grab some clean clothes but his best friend stubbornly insisted that he didn’t need them and he had to give up in the end, wondering what the other was planning in his evil mind.

Once they had reached their destination, the diagnostician took of his jacket and threw it on a chair together with his backpack and plopped down on the couch, grabbing the remote. The oncologist raised an eyebrow, perplexed by that distant behaviour, but avoided any comment, removing his sweatshirt and sitting next to him.

They spent some time in silence, with House flicking through the channels randomly without really caring about what they were broadcasting, and Wilson trying his best not to show is confusion and discomfort. The older man had appeared so eager that afternoon and also during the dinner his eyes had showed some intense spark of interest. He truly couldn’t understand the reason behind that change of mood.

“Uh, House?” He called in the end, breaking the silence. He needed to do something.

“Yeah?” House answered absent-mindedly, his eyes fixed on the screen. “What’s up?”

“Uh…Well, I was wondering…Can we talk?” James stuttered. He bit the inside of his cheek hard, mentally cursing his uncertainty.

“I’m listening,” the distract answer was.

“I don’t think you are. Can you at least look at me?” He was starting to get annoyed.

A smirk opened on the diagnostician’s face as he finally turned to face him and he immediately knew that the other was messing up with him. Again. He didn’t know if he had better laugh or yell at him. But he didn’t even get the time to think about it because suddenly House’s eager lips were on his and his hands were under his T-shirt. James couldn’t help getting lost in the sensation of his skin being explored and touched with so much passion and urgency, his mind focused on the slow dance their lips had engaged, brushing briefly and pulling away for a moment, avid for a contact after the other. It took him all his willpower to clear his thoughts and force himself to pursue his aim.

“House…This isn’t _talking_!” He gasped pulling away slightly, only to have the older man taking advantage of his open mouth and deepening the kiss. “House! _Please_!”

The diagnostician moved away, clearly annoyed. “Alright, since you are _begging_ for it, let’s talk, you killjoy!” He reluctantly agreed. “But after that I’m getting what I want without any fuss.”

“Sorry, I don’t want to ruin the mood, but…I need to know what we are getting into,” Wilson explained. “I mean…I love you and I got that you like me too, but I want to know if this is something serious or if we are just adding _benefits_ to our friendship.”

House stared at him as he was crazy for some seconds, pondering on laughing in his face, but he decided against it and got up. He could feel the oncologist’s confused and hurt gaze on him but he didn’t look back, knowing to well that seeing the distress in those beautiful chocolate eyes would have made him give up before he could accomplish what he was planning. So he limped towards the piano and sat down, lifting up the fall board and brushing against the keys with his fingers, feeling them. He could almost already hear the music he was about to play.

“Hey, come here,” he called without turning, patting the spare part of the bench next to him. He waited for his best friend to join him and, as soon as he felt the other’s body pressing against his, he put his hands back on the keys and started playing.

The melody filled every angle of the room, erasing any other sound. The music started soft and slow and got a little livelier after the first few minutes, without losing its nostalgic tone. It seemed to speak about some forgotten past, bringing back only the fading shadow of confused memories. James recognised it almost immediately. It was the one that House claimed to have written before high school when he was on Patrick Obyedkov’s case. The diagnostician had added the part that his patient had composed but it sounded differently. When he had heard it the first time it was filled with a dramatic hue that now had been replaced by a sad and distant tune. He couldn’t help but thinking that it was more fitting and intense than the previous version, and it sounded much more like House.

He closed his eyes and let the music wash through him, touching his soul and heart. That was his best friend’s way to express emotion and he wanted to take as much as he could out of it, to understand everything the other was trying to say. It was his own way to say he was sorry for faking cancer, for making him worried sick and for the awkwardness that had crept between them after that episode. It was his own way to ask him for another chance, to try to trust him again. And it was his own way to promise he would have tried in turn, to say that he wanted them to work. It was also the answer to his previous question.

“You changed it,” he commented, when the older man’s fingers left the keys.

“Yeah. I felt the need to make it really mine. There was no way I would have let an idiot with half brain win over me,” House nodded quietly, but his voice was stained with a note of his usual sarcasm. “It took me some time but in the end I found the inspiration. I have been thinking about my life and about what kind of music could be its background. I had an awfully sappy moment actually. I wonder if I have to blame your bad influence. And the answer is most likely yes.”

The oncologist smiled. “I take it as a compliment even if I have the feeling you meant it the other way around.” His gaze wandered on the keys. “You know, I remember that you said that your patient’s tune was the perfect conclusion for the song. It was really beautiful but…I think that _now_ it’s perfect.”

Their gaze met and both leaned closer, their noses touching and their lips just few inches apart. Each of them felt the other’s breath caressing his skin, while their eyes were still locked, soft chocolate brown in sharp cerulean blue. There were no words passing between them but that silence, the air they were sharing and their gazes were saying more things that a voice could ever speak. There was no need to verbalize, and after all they had hardly needed that when it was about sharing the most important things.

“Oh my god, don’t tell me that you are going to _propose_!” House whispered after some minutes, faking shock and breaking the lull. “It’s a little too early, don’t you think?”

James moved away, caught off guard, and shot him a nasty glance. “Oh, I didn’t know you could read minds! I was about to go down on my knee. You know, we spent almost fifteen years flirting, I thought we could officialise it now that we are getting serious,” he answered sarcastically. “Why did you have to spoil the mood? The song was gorgeous, the atmosphere was perfect and you were being almost _romantic_.”

“That’s why I did it! You almost made me go all _sentimental_. You manipulative bastard!” The older man whined putting on a horrified expression. “But I came to my senses just in time to avoid the worst. I needed to do something and break the spell before it got too cheesy. It would have killed me in the best case!”

“Right, or worse it would have ruined your _reputation_ as a rational cold-hearted jerk,” Wilson chuckled shaking his head. “Damn, I was almost there. That was my chance to get a reason to tease you for the rest of your life!” He rubbed his neck, turning serious. His voice was now only a little louder than a whisper. “I wanted to say…Well, thanks. The song, its meaning…I got it. And I’m so happy about it. Nobody has ever done something so special for me. But after all you have your own personal ways…and I simply love them. It was amazing… _You_ are amazing.”

“Gee, how many compliments. No problem, Jimmy…Even if I don’t know what you are talking about,” the diagnostician mumbled stirring and faking indifference. He would never admit that his best friend’s word had made a warm and pleasant feeling blossom in his chest, an emotion he thought he would have never felt again. He hid a little smile. Maybe sentimentalism wasn’t that bad at times after all.

“Keep deflecting if you feel like. You’ve already give yourself away.”

James hesitated for a moment, then leant against the older man side. He felt so good to be able to do that, to touch his best friend, his lover, he could call his like that now he realized shivering, in the most intimate way. And the best thing was that everything came so natural, as if they had spent all those years grasping at each other. And maybe they had, he mused, obviously not physically, but they had always tried their best to keep the other around, House testing the limits of their friendship and he trying to hold out in spite of everything.

The diagnostician put an arm around him and pulled him closer before slipping his fingers from his shoulder, up and down on his arm and the beneath the collar of his T-shirt. “Now that I’ve satisfied your request, why don’t you help me with mine?” He asked huskily. “I think we had a deal, didn’t we?”

The oncologist shivered at the light touch, his heart beating harder and harder. He exhaled slowly, too aware of the heat that was reddening his cheeks, and nodded. “Yeah, that’s fair. But…” He panted quietly, feeling a pang of discomfort in his chest. “I’ve never done anything…I don’t know how this works.”

House smirked. “I can’t believe that even if your reputation you still can act like a virgin girl,” he commented amused gaining an annoyed glare. Then his tone became a bit more serious. “Don’t worry. Relax, I’ll take care of you, Wonder Boy.”

“Every moment is good for teasing me,” James muttered. The he sighed. “Alright. I can do this. There’s no need to be nervous. It’s just you.” He stared in his best friend’s eyes. “Greg, I…”

He was cut off by hungry lips on his. “Don’t. No words needed. I know, you know. That’s it,” the hoarse voice whispered in his ear and he melted in the embrace and immediately deepened the kiss, longing for much more. He felt the older man smirk against his lips but decided to ignore him. He would have scolded him later if he had still been in the mood.

House stood up, bringing his lover with him, and pushed him to make him walk backward, guiding him across the room and leaning on him for support instead of using his cane, never disconnecting their lips. Wilson hit the wall with his back and the diagnostician pressed hard against him, moving his mouth along his jaw and then on his neck. The younger man gasped when he pressed his lips against his pulse point, a wave of arousal passing through his body like a shock. His skin was electric, he could almost feel the current running along his nerves. The room, the sounds, even the wall behind him were all gone. The only things he was aware of where their bodies pressed hard against, their hands exploring and their breaths melting together. He didn’t remember to have ever experienced something similar with the women he had slept with. House seemed to exactly where to touch and how much to press to make his head spinning and his limps trembling with pleasure, driving him slowly insane with his skilled pianist fingers.

House drank every single sound that escaped from Wilson’s mouth as if his life depended on that. His hands wandered on that hot skin and his mouth was trying to taste every inch that it could reach. Feeling the oncologist’s breath on his ear and cheek, his fingers clinging on him almost desperately, the kisses he planted randomly on his face and hands was making him want to rip their clothes off and connect as more skin as he could. The cloth was starting to annoy him and he felt himself burning with desire. He growled loudly when the oncologist’s lifted his T-shirt, brushing firstly the skin of his stomach and then grasping the edge of his jeans, fingers digging beneath it. That was enough. They were done with foreplay, no matter how much pleasurable it was being. He needed to get inside Wilson and he needed to do it quickly before losing the little control he still had.

He put his arms around his lover’s waist and tugged to remove him from the wall. “Bed, now,” he ordered catching his breath.

James nodded briefly and pressed their opened mouth together once again. They trudged towards their destination fervently kissing and bumping the furniture and the walls in the process, but none of them seemed to care. House was once again using Wilson to help himself moving and the younger man was more than happy to support him, always paying attention to his injured leg.

There was no awkwardness or fear between them, even if they weren’t used to such acts. They both were keeping the promise to trust each other. Hesitation lingered few times, but it was always overcome by need and passion. No words were to disturb the time they were sharing, and the only sounds were their hard and short breaths and muffled moans. There and then one of them called out the other’s name, but it was so quiet that he could actually have not. It was just limbs intertwining, hands touching, fingers playing, lips and tongues dancing and bodies thrusting. Everything seemed both agonizingly slow and unbearably fast.

They reached their climax almost at the same time, the other’s name on their lips, and then collapsed side by side on the bed, between the damp sheets. As their breaths slowed down, Wilson shifted closer to his lover and laced his arms around his lover’s neck, almost to make sure that he was really there, that what he had experienced had actually happened. House embraced his waist and put his bad leg on him as he had done when they had slept on the couch, engaging him in another deep kiss until he felt his friend relaxing once again. Sleep won on both, together with the awareness that it was once again just the two of them, and that it was as it should have always been.


	15. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, guys!
> 
> So, this is the last chapter of the story...sadly it's over. But I'm also satisfied with the result...I think that it's a nice story in spite of everything! I hope you have enjoyed it as well! Besides is always a good satisfaction to press the button "Complete"!
> 
> Well, this is just a little epilogue to fix the last things...I hope I haven't gone too mushy at a certain point, 'cause I hate that! .
> 
> I hope to see you again guys! Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own nothing apart from the plot and the original characters. House - M.D. belongs to its rightful owners!
> 
> Note: slash (House/Wilson), don't like, don't read please!

**Chapter 15 - _Epilogue_**

Wilson passed the hospital threshold in a hurry, just in time not to be late. He was alone, House had mumbled something about being early and wanting to sleep longer. James had bit back a smart remark about the fact that the diagnostician didn’t seemed so sleepy when he had tried to make him engaging morning sex, and almost succeeding in persuading him. He had been strongly tempted to go along with his lover’s wishes, but his back was already killing him and it was getting late, so he had pulled away after some hot making out. He had an appointment with Cuddy that morning and the last thing he needed was another round.

He had left House dozing among the sheets and made pancakes for his best friend while sipping a cup of strong coffee. After that he had rushed to the bathroom to take a shower, only to have the hairdryer pegged out when he was far from being finished and to remember that he had no spare clothes at the apartment. And this was why he had ended up in the hospital with ruffled hair, wearing the jeans from the day before, one of House’s hard rock T-shirts and, over it, one of his shirts, unbuttoned and with rolled-up sleeves to hide the fact that it was a little too big for him.

The oncologist crossed the hall quickly, hoping that, if he had looked in a hurry, nobody would have stopped him. Unfortunately his plan didn’t work and he found himself surrounded by every nurse he met during his way to the elevator, all of them asking about his unusual attire. He made up some lame excuses about having had a very hard time the day before and having suffered from insomnia during the night, but the women seemed to believe him and expressed their sympathy, wrapping him in merciful gazes and pats on the arms.

Reaching the elevator and its solitude was a real bliss. He allowed himself to lean against the metal walls, catching his breath. He still had ten minutes before the meeting, and he had to use them to collect the documents he needed and, above all, try to fix at least his hair. He sighed and reached his office quickly, resting his briefcase on his desk, then he looked for the comb he was sure he had in one of his drawers.

When he knocked at Cuddy’s door eleven minutes later he could proudly say that his hair was looking as almost fine as always. The woman invited him to sit without lifting her gaze from the documents she was reading.

“So, James, speaking of those forms you…” She started finally, glancing up at him, but she stopped abruptly when she noticed his clothes. “Why are you dressed like House?”

Wilson opened his mouth and closed it a couple of time, a slight red hue on his cheeks. “Uh, I…I slept with…hem, _at_ his place last night and I…didn’t have a change of clothes with me,” he explained stuttering a bit after a moment of silence, forcing himself to keep his voice still. “So I borrowed his T-shirt and shirt. I had few drinks, not too much, but I’ve thought it would have been better if I slept there.” He faked a laugh. “I’m so used to House’s couch that I sleep better there then in a bed.”

“I see?” There was still a questioning note in her voice, but she didn’t make further comments and went back to the reason of the meeting.

James hid a sigh of relief, grateful for the lucky escape, even if he could tell that the Dean was still studying him, trying to read what was hidden behind his unusual manners. He decided that ignoring her was the best option and so he acted as he hadn’t noticed her persisting inspection. He was surprised to find out that it was easier than what he had thought and couldn’t help smiling. He had learned from the best after all.

 

House arrived at work only two hours and a half later and he was in a good mood that had surprised even him himself. He passed the conference room, where his team was busy doing what they usually did when there were no cases, and entered his office, throwing his bag on a chair and taking his jacket off. He spent few minutes observing his assistants, quietly humming. Cameron was going through his mail and filling documents, Chase was busy with one of his crosswords and Foreman was reading a medical magazine. A smirk crept on his face. None of them was aware of his presence. That could be fun.

He silently opened the door that separated the two offices and slipped unseen inside the conference room. Once there he stood right in front of the entrance and hit the metal bookcase near the window with his cane. The three doctors jumped, completely taken aback and immediately turned towards him, their shocked expressions immediately changing into annoyed ones as soon as they realized his prank.

“Are you trying to give us a heart attack?!” Foreman exclaimed exasperated. “What are you doing here, anyway? We don’t have a case, you shouldn’t be here so early!”

“It’s five to ten, it’s not _early_!” The diagnostician complained. Then he grinned amused. “By the way, your scared expressions were gold! Have you ever thought about working in the movie business? If you had a screen test, they might hire you!”

“We’ll take that in mind next time we’ll need a job, thanks,” Chase stated, looking at his boss curiously. “But Foreman is right, ten in the morning is early for you if you don’t have a case. And you don’t, do you? What’s up?”

“How many questions! If I had known that I would have been given the third degree, I would have stayed at home!” He snorted, rolling his eyes. “And I was even thinking to try to be _nice_ with you today! I don’t know what had got into me!”

Cameron studied him for a moment, a sceptical look on her face. “May I ask why you should want to be nice with us?” She questioned. “Are you _really_ dying this time?”

“Of course not, you silly! Sorry, you are not getting another chance to kiss me,” he mocked. “I’m just in a good mood. You know, it happens to people!”

“That means that you are high, doesn’t it?” The neurologist said, rolling his eyes. “What did you take this time? Too many Vicodin? Heroin?”

“Why do I have to be high? Can’t I just have had a good day?” His boss snorted, irritated. “You have such an awful opinion of me!”

Foreman let out a brief unamused laugh and shook his head, while Chase pointed out: “You are never in a good mood, House. Besides, why should you be if it’s not due to drugs?”

House shot him a knowing glance and smirked. “Why are you in a good mood when you get to fuck Cameron?”

The blond blinked at him, not sure if he had heard correctly, and the immunologist dropped her jaw, her mind putting pieces together.

“You got _laid_?” The neurologist dared, expressing his co-workers’ thoughts and raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “I guess by a hooker.”

“No hooker this time, and there won’t be any for a long while I’m afraid! Why so sceptical, guys? Cripples have their charm too!” The diagnostician protested faking hurt, while casually playing with his pager. “But I’m not telling who the lucky one is before you ask.”

“You’re messing up with us. There’s no way I believe that,” Chase blurted out, incredulous. “Are you implying you are having an affair? I mean, a relationship of some sort?”

“That’s the plan, kid,” the older man sang mockingly. “The rest only time will tell.”

Before any other question could be asked the door of the conference room opened and Wilson stuck his head in, glancing at the four. “You don’t look like you are working,” he stated entering the office.

“Gee, thanks, Captain Obvious!” His best friend exclaimed, biting back a chuckle.

“Why did you page me, then?” The younger man asked annoyed, putting his hands on his hips. He had removed the shirt and was wearing his white coat in its place. “I was with a patient. When will you understand that I’m _busy_? Don’t call for a consult if you don’t need one.”

“Touchy, aren’t we? Did you have some problem with _sleeping_ yesterday? Relax, Jimmy, it’s just me disturbing you,” House said, pointing him with his cane. “Nice clothes, by the way! Testing a new style?”

The oncologist blushed, finally getting why he had been called, while Chase asked confused: “Isn’t that one of House’s T-shirts? He was wearing it last week.”

“I…I borrowed it,” James mumbled, embarrassed. He should have known that House was going to use him to mess up with his team and to hint about what had happened between them. Or maybe he already knew but he had pretended not to just to be able to see his lover.

He met Cameron’s still surprised but pleased gaze and she smiled at him, mouthing “I told you”. He smiled a bit back and nodded, taking advantage of the fact that the other two ducklings were staring at their boss, not knowing how to put together the information they had collected.

“So, do you want to keep discussing Wilson’s clothes or what?” The diagnostician asked after some moments of silence, seeing that the two doctors weren’t looking away. “I can understand that this sudden change of style could have some hidden reasons that you may be interested to study, but right now we have more important things to do. You two voyeurs, since you seem to enjoy so much staring, why don’t you go and gaze around and find me a case?”

Foreman rolled his eyes and mumbled something that sounded like “Yeah, we better do, I don’t want to know”, while Chase blinked again a couple before following his colleague out of the room. House hummed satisfied, the turned to Cameron. “You, coffee. For me, _my_ Wonder Boy here,”. The emphasis on the adjective made Wilson’s cheeks flush lightly again. “And for you, if you want some as well.”

The woman chuckled lightly getting and patting the oncologist’s arms before busying herself with her task. The older man glared at her and then turned towards his best friend, an evil grin on his face. His eyes travelled on the other body, taking note of every detail. He couldn’t help thinking that he looked quite good in his T-shirt, even if it was a little too long for his size. Maybe if he wore it and nothing else it would be even better.

Wilson crossed his arms and approached his lover, feeling uncomfortable under that intense gaze. “Sorry if I left so early today. I had an appointment with Cuddy. I bet you’ll be happy to hear that she questioned about my clothes too. I told her I spent the night at your place and I didn’t have a change with me,” he said rubbing his neck. “It’s not a lie after all. She didn’t ask, but I knew she was not convinced. Wanna mess up with her too later?”

“Could be fun. Especially after the little conversation we had yesterday before you came and picked me up,” House mused taking a step closer to him. “But there’s something I want to do before planning anything else…” Without warning he lifted his cane and put it behind James’s back, forcing their bodies together. “Next time try to reschedule your engagements, I want to wake up with you still in bed and to be able to do to you whatever I feel like,” he whispered, his hot breath spreading on the oncologist’s skin, before closing the small distance between them, careless of the fact that the room had glasses walls.

Wilson tried to fight back at the beginning, but he didn’t put too much conviction in his efforts and ended up gladly opening his mouth for House and fervently kissing back, his hands lost in his lover’s short hair. The diagnostician hands moved to grasp his waist, pulling him impossibly closer, while he went on exploring every inch of James’s mouth, brushing his teeth with his tongue and engaging a passionate dance with the other’s muscle. Both seemed to have forgotten where they were because they parted only at the sound of a cup smashing on the floor.

Cameron was staring at them, eyes wide, clearly caught off guard by the scene. Knowing that his boss and the oncologist had got together was a thing, but she wasn’t expecting them to make out so openly at the hospital, especially with somebody in the room. “Oh God. Sorry. I…I didn’t…That was _unexpected,_ ” she stuttered embarrassed. “I’ll clean up immediately.” She filled up two other cups and put them on the table.

“Don’t worry, Allison, it’s not your fault,” the younger man smiled, uncomfortable, stepping away from his lover. He shot a nasty glance to House who was wearing once again one of his smirks. “We need to talk about how to behave in public places.”

“Oh, don’t be a killjoy, Jimmy! Public places mean people who might catch us and that means excitement,” the latter whined unhappily. “Don’t spoil a cripple’s fun!”

James rolled his eyes, taking the mug and handing the other to his best friend. “Sorry, but we really need to. I’m sure we will find a compromise.”

“If the deal includes having sex on Cuddy’s desk as I asked yesterday, I’m in,” the diagnostician stated solemnly, watching Wilson and Cameron exchanging exasperated looks.

“I think I’m going to help Chase and Foreman,” the immunologist announced, biting back a laugh. “Good luck, Wilson. You’ll need it, together with patience.”

“I know. Fifteen years of friendship are a good training ground,” he nodded, grinning. “I can manage him and all the consequences.”

The woman waved at them and left, shaking his head. Those two were surely one of the oddest couple she had ever seen, but she couldn’t help thinking that they were perfect together. The bond they had shared for so many years made their connection special, different from what every other couple had. It was a wonderful basis on which a long-term relationship could be build, and she was sure that Wilson would exploit it in the best way. The oncologist was good for House, she mused, he was the only one who could make her boss’s good side come out. And the diagnostician was able to force his best friend to abandon the over polite and distant mask he wore almost every day and to live his life at full blast. Yes, they could make it. They needed too, both of them. She felt a pang of jealousy at that thought, but she simply shook it away. She had loved House and that couldn’t be erased, but she was over it, and she had understood that he wasn’t the man for her. She liked him, admired him, respected him, but there was no way she could stay by his side. Her boss was a mess, he was damaged far beyond the point of no return and she would have never been able to fix him. Because he didn’t need to be fixed after all.

She glanced back and saw the two head physicians discussing. Wilson had his hands on his hips once again and wore a frown, while House was seated in front of him, his best annoying smile on his face. At first glance they looked as the always did, but a further look could see a deeper complicity in their actions and a new fondness in their eyes every time their gazes met. Cameron smiled. She was really happy for them.

She kept walking, chuckling to herself. She would enjoy explaining the whole affair to Chase that night when they would be in bed. Gossip after sex was the best.

 

Cuddy left his office, heading quickly crossing the hall. She had been busy for the whole morning and now finally she was having a break. It was lunch time, so she headed towards the cafeteria, knowing that she had great chances to find her target there. Wilson’s strange attitude had worried her that morning, but she had had no time to investigate further due to her engagements. She had an appointment with one of the donors and then a lot of documents that needed her signature. Moreover, she had been asked to schedule the next meeting with the Board and to arrange the agenda. So she was forced to forget her personal matters and to focus on her job. But now she was free and ready to find out what was wrong.

The Dean carefully moved her gaze through the room from the threshold, looking for the oncologist and House. She was sure they were eating together, they almost always shared lunch. It took a small time to spot them out. They were seated in a corner, apart from the crowd, nattering. The diagnostician reached out to steal one of Wilson’s fries from time to time and the oncologist pretended not to notice. They both had on their faces a knowing smile that she had never seen, and this made her frown. Were they plotting something? She was used to their idiotic bets and she had resigned herself to turn the other way every time she found one of them planning some nasty prank on the other or falling into it. She had decided that, till whatever they acted on wasn’t dangerous for her hospital and its staff, she could simply turn a blind eye to it. But this time was different. They were planning it _together_ and she couldn’t help getting worried.

She started to walk towards them, never turning her eyes away, but she stopped abruptly when she saw something she wasn’t expecting. She would have sworn that Wilson had placed his hand on House’s and had squeezed it. And the other had let him. She blinked, not knowing what to think. It couldn’t be. But, as soon as she had persuaded herself that she had imagined it, the diagnostician poked his best friend’s arm while saying something and then he rested his hand on it. If she had seen everybody else she would have given no account to it, but she couldn’t avoid noticing since it was from House. Besides, the glance they exchanged immediately after that removed almost all doubts.

Cuddy remained frozen on the spot, unable to believe to what she had in front of her eyes. That explained Wilson’s behaviour of that morning. _Uh, I…I slept with…ehm,_ at _his place last night_. He even almost slipped while making up an excuse. It was completely unexpected, but she had to admit that it made sense in some illogical way. The news was shocking for her, and once again the pang of jealousy came back, but she dismissed it as soon as she remembered how relaxed House had seemed the day before and now as well. She smiled. He hadn’t lied her after all, he really had a date. She couldn’t help feeling little worried for Wilson, instead. That was going to be hard for him. But after all he had managed to stick by the diagnostician’s side for all those years and she knew that if there was someone who could be with House it was him. They would work in the same screwed up way they had always done. It was almost a physical law.

She was totally lost in her consideration and she didn’t notice the person who had come to stand beside her.

“Hey, boss!” Sophia said cheerfully, making the Dean jump. “Finally a break?”

She turned towards her. She knew that woman. An intensivist who work in the E.R. and she was friend with the oncologist if she wasn’t mistaking. “Sophia Ure, isn’t it?” She questioned, her eyes keeping going back to the table where the two doctors were seated. “Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. I hadn’t noticed you.”

“Yeah, that’s me. I’m a friend of James’s. And don’t worry, it’s quite understandable” she nodded, following her glance with a knowing smile. “I know you will say I’m crazy, but I can’t help thinking that they are _cute_ together!”

Cuddy glared at her, raising an eyebrow. “That’s not the adjective I would use to describe it,” she stated, watching the other woman giggling. “But they are really…?”

“Yes, it’s exactly what you think and what it seems. I followed them around all morning, and I even saw them kissing! James is not going to hear the end of this from me!”

The Dean of Medicine stared at the two men for few more moments, then turned to shoot another disapproving glance to the intensivist who had an enthusiastic grin on her face. At least she had just had the confirmation to her suspects. Now she had to deal with the news. And she would have to talk to the two of them about how to behave at the hospital. “I still have some time left, I’d better take something to eat.” She turned, showing her intention to leave the cafeteria. “Good afternoon, Dr Ure.”

“Enjoy your break, Dr Cuddy!” Sophia greeted in turn, watching her leave. She wasn’t surprised to see that her boss wasn’t so shocked about the whole thing. Cuddy was a smart woman and she knew the two head physicians better than anyone else. She was surely able to see what there was behind the new asset of their relationship.

The intensivist shook her head and approached the table. She was the one who would have fun that time at the other’s expense.

The two doctors were so absorbed in their conversation that didn’t they notice her until she hugged the oncologist from behind, her arms around his neck. The man jumped, caught off guard, while House rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by the intrusion, but his gaze bore a glint of amusement.

“Good day, guys!” She exclaimed grinning, letting his friend go and putting her hands on the table. “Somebody had an interesting night yesterday, hadn’t you?”

“Good day to you, Sophia,” Wilson answered, hiding a smile. “How are you today?”

“I’m very, very _curious_ actually!” She sang poking him. “Come on! Give me something?”

“The phrase “none of your business” means anything to you?” House interjected. “Because that’s the only thing you’ll get.”

She snorted pouting, but then the smiled came back on her face. “OK, as you wish. I’ll make James tell me the whole story later. Now, can I tell you? You _both_?”

The oncologist lifted his eyes, but smiled in turn. “Come on, go on, you she-devil,” he laughed. “I guess you deserve to say!”

“I. Told. You!” Sophia exclaimed pointing the two. “I knew before you did! I’m the _best_.”

“Yeah, yeah, nice. Are you done boasting yourself? I was happy with the privacy I had before you came and interrupted us,” the diagnostician pressed impatiently, waving his hand to gesture her to go away. “I want to eat in peace!”

“I got it! I’m quite hungry too, so I guess I’ll get something to it.” The intensivist winked at them. “I’m leaving you two alone. For now.” She took the oncologist’s hand and squeezed, smiling sincerely. “I’m so _happy_ for you,” she said quietly before leaving. The smile stayed on her face. They were fated together, she had understood since the first James had told him about his brilliant and eccentric best friend.

“Your cute friend is a real busybody,” the older man grumbled, stealing another fry and watching her leave. “I noticed it during our encounter, but she is worse than I thought! But I have to grant her that she knows when she has to leave things alone. She is nothing compare to me!”

“She is quite… _curious,_ ” Wilson granted, laying his chin on the palm of his hand. “But don’t worry. I’ll deal with her later. And yes, she is far more tactful than you are!”

“Good. Public relations are your job. And…you love me for being a jerk, Jimmy.”

A comfortable silence fell on them, leaving each lost in his own thoughts. James played with his food, his gaze fixed on his plate. He was smiling but he kept his face down not to show that at his best friend. He would have mocked him for sure. Sophia’s intrusion had amused him and he was grateful for her support. He was sure that she would have been crazy about the news. His mind went back to the memories of the night before. It had been one of the most amazing experiences he had ever had, he couldn’t deny it. He was sure that he would have never forgotten what he had felt during those hours. He still couldn’t believe that he could have those emotions likely for the rest of his life. He knew that it wouldn’t be easy, but he was sure that their relationship would work. If their screwed-up friendship had worked for so much time, then this unexpected but welcomed evolution of their bond that they were starting to build would as well.

House was studying his lover, his piercing blue eyes never leaving his face. He would have never admitted but he liked the way the light reflected on his hair and loved his chocolate brown eyes. He looked much younger when he was relaxed and was able to forget about the weight that his job put every day on his shoulders. He lowered his gaze on his dish. He knew that the oncologist was going to bring up what had happened the night before. They were more than fine with it, but they hadn’t talked about it, apart from some jokes he had made. Knowing Wilson, he surely felt the need to face the subject. It was just a matter of time.

“Uh, House?” Wilson finally broke the silence after more than five minutes. “I think we need to talk about…Well, yesterday. I mean, it was great, but I need to…understand.”

“OK. I’m listening,” the older man nodded, biting back a smirk. Here they were. He focused his eyes on his best friend’s face once again. He was even more alluring when he blushed. “Even if I think that we already have said everything we needed to say.”

“Yeah, you are right but…”. The younger rubbed his neck, embarrassed, looking for the right words. Then he sighed. “OK, I admit it, I don’t really need to talk about it.” He smiled satisfied seeing the quizzical that appeared on his lover’s face at his words. “I was only looking for an excuse to say a thing once again without sounding cheesy. But I guess I still have to learn a lot about pretending.”

“Everybody knows that, Jimmy,” House smirked, recovering from his surprise. “Spit it out and show your true mushy self!”

James blushed even more, but forced himself to stare back. “I love you,” he mumbled, mentally getting ready for the mockery.

The diagnostician kept silent for few seconds and then couldn’t help starting to laugh even if quietly not to catch the other people’s attention. “Even cheesier than I was expecting!” He commented, raising an eyebrow. “Congratulations!”

“Thanks, House. You are so supporting!” The oncologist snorted rolling his eyes and shooting his him a nasty glance. “Such a joy to have around.”

He smirked even more seeing how annoyed he had made his lover. He enjoyed too much teasing him, it was something he couldn’t go without. But at the same time he couldn’t help appreciating the fact that Wilson could see through all his teasing and get what he really meant without needing him to explain. It was their way to communicate, but he also knew that the other at times needed a straight answer. And he couldn’t deny it to him with all that the younger man gave him. He moved the bottles of water that were in the way and pushed his plate towards James. “Say a word about this and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life,” he warned. “I’m not kidding. And be glad because my pride is not. I wanted to add “idiot” but there wasn’t enough space left.”

Wilson looked down at the dish, his irritation immediately replaced immediately by a pleasing sense of astonishment. The older man had written something using the fries he had stolen from his plate. “Luv u too”, it said. It was oddly romantic, considering that it came from House, and looking at it made him feel good. He chuckled, but avoided any comment, exchanging instead a meaningful glance with his best friend. He didn’t need any other words. The smile in those gorgeous cerulean eyes was enough.


End file.
